The one in São Paulo and two separate investigations into the attack that occurred late last Friday night (10) in a settlement of the (Landless Rural Workers Movement), in Tremembé (SP), 156 km from the capital paulista.
So far, two people have been identified by the Civil Police as perpetrators, and one of them is arrested.
Valdir do Nascimento de Jesus, 52, one of the MST coordinators in the region, and Gleison Barbosa de Carvalho, 28, resident of one of the settlement’s lots, were killed. Two of Carvalho’s brothers were also injured by gunshots — one of them with two shots to the head —, in addition to four other people shot.
The victims had decided to hold a vigil in a 5,000 square meter lot in the area, which had been abandoned for at least two years, after receiving threats from people outside the settlement.
What is known so far:
Background
Residents of the Olga Benário settlement report that people from outside the area had been trying to take possession of one of the lots there, which had been abandoned for at least two years.
The land, which is close to the urban area of the city, had been coveted by men who intended to change the use of the area to build houses.
Last Tuesday (7), a group had entered the lot, which has an unfinished house, and stole pipes and metals from the land’s artesian well.
On the Friday of the crime, in the morning, a man identified by the Civil Police as Ítalo Rodrigues da Silva went to the location and threatened Jesus and the other settlers, saying that he would return to the land later.
Valdir, afraid that the area would be lost, organized a vigil with other local residents to protect the area. They intended to spend the night on the disputed land.
The attack
At around 11pm, a group, whose number has not yet been confirmed, in cars and motorcycles, entered the main dirt road of the settlement and headed towards the abandoned lot. When they were greeted by the vigil settlers, who wanted to talk, they immediately fired shots. They then fled.
The authors
A witness said that some men in the group had tattoos and recognized one of the vehicles used in the crime, a Volkswagen Amarok.
Another witness was able to identify at least one of the attackers. It would be Antonio Martins dos Santos Filho, 41, known as “Nero do Piseiro”. The suspect is a well-known man in the region, as he owns a bar in the Jardim Maracaibo neighborhood, in Tremembé, known for its forró parties, and has already been arrested for illegal possession of a weapon.
Prisons
Upon identifying “Nero do Piseiro”, police officers began looking for him and found him in a house in Taubaté, a city neighboring Tremembé, hours after the crime. He was arrested red-handed. His motorcycle, which was allegedly used in the attack, was seized.
In testimony, Nero confirmed his participation in the crime, according to the Civil Police, and also stated that Ítalo, the man who had threatened the settlers in the afternoon, was with the group.
He did not give details, however, about the reasons for the attack or its organization. He said he had gone to “take satisfaction” about a fight involving ownership of the land.
Investigations
The Civil Police are investigating whether the attack was organized by one of the members of the group that invaded the settlement or whether the group was hired by a mastermind to commit the murders.
