Brazil: La Via Campesina denounces massacre at Olga Benário settlement in Tremembé, São Paulo
From La Vía Campesina, we express our deepest rejection and indignation at the massacre perpetrated on January 10, 2025, at the Olga Benário Settlement in Tremembé, São Paulo. This cowardly attack, carried out by approximately 40 armed men, resulted in the murders of Valdir Nascimento (52) and Gleison Barbosa (28), as well as six injuries, five of whom remain hospitalized, including Denis Carvalho, who suffered two gunshot wounds to the head and is in critical condition.
On Friday night, families at the settlement were gathered when a group of armed criminals, arriving in five cars and motorcycles, invaded the area and opened fire indiscriminately. This premeditated attack, resembling an execution, targeted victims with shots to the head and back. Despite the violence, the families resisted, defending their territory against the encroachment of militias driven by speculative real estate interests.
Our Pain for Our MST Comrades
Valdir Nascimento, known as “Valdirzão,” was a prominent figure in the struggle for agroecology and a staunch defender of conquered land. A committed member of MST since 1993, he dedicated his life to fighting illegal land sales and strengthening the peasant movement in the Paraíba Valley.
Gleison Barbosa, known as “Guegue,” was the son of a settlement family. Although he lived in São Paulo, his dedication to the territory drove him to actively contribute to community efforts.
Denis Carvalho remains in the ICU after undergoing surgery to remove shrapnel from his head. His condition is critical.
Thanks to the pressure from families and organizations, the police arrested Antonio Martins Filho, alias “Nero do Piseiro,” identified as the intellectual author of the massacre, who confessed to his involvement. Additionally, a preventive arrest warrant has been issued for Ítalo Rodrigues da Silva, who is currently at large. The Federal Police are also involved in the investigation, following directives from President Lula and the Ministry of Justice.
We Stand in Solidarity with MST
In light of this cowardly attack, La Vía Campesina expresses our profound rejection and indignation. We join in solidarity statements for our comrades in the MST settlement who are enduring violence for fighting for their right to land and a dignified life.
This confirms the ongoing oppression faced daily by peasants, Indigenous peoples, Afro-descendant communities, and social movements in general in Brazil.
This event underscores the ongoing oppression faced daily by peasants, Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant communities, and social movements in Brazil. Behind these aggressions are the agribusiness structures and landowners seeking to seize land through intimidation, violence, and the criminalization of those defending equitable access to land and territory.
We also denounce the inaction of local authorities, whose complicity allows such attacks to continue in a country deeply scarred by inequality. The lack of justice in cases like this perpetuates a cycle of violence that threatens the lives, safety, and human rights of those striving to build a fairer and more sustainable future.
We stand in solidarity with the pain of the affected families, reaffirming our commitment to supporting them in their pursuit of truth, reparation, and justice.
We demand justice for our comrades Valdir, Gleison, Denis, and all the victims of this attack. Those responsible must be identified and held accountable under the law.
We know that such cowardly acts of violence aim to weaken the movements fighting for justice and the care of Mother Earth. Far from intimidating us, we remain confident that no violent act can stop the growth of human consciousness. Our current pain in the face of these events will fuel our comrades and allies in social, peasant, and Indigenous movements to continue their struggle and proclaim to the world the urgent need for structural change, where land grabbing, injustice, and corporate greed have no place.
Our pain, like the cycles of Mother Earth, will be the seed that ripens into the fruit that nourishes global consciousness.
Valdir, Gleison, and Denis, PRESENT! Agrarian Reform Now! Food Sovereignty Now!