More than 600 Landless families occupied an unproductive area in Goiás that was once used by a criminal group convicted of international human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
The occupation of the São Lukas farm, located in the municipality of Hidrolândia, began early this Saturday (25). Since 2016, the area has been part of the Union’s heritage.
Before that, the site was used for three years to imprison women, many of them teenagers. The scheme was discovered by the Federal Police together with Swiss authorities in Operation Fassini.
The investigations were named after the family that owned the land and was also part of the criminal organization.
In the action, the police found that most of the victims were from humble origins and lived in cities in the region. They were trafficked to Switzerland and subjected to abuse and exploitation. The scheme involved 18 people who were tried and convicted in 2009.
The occupation is part of the National Day of Struggle for Landless Women, which takes place across the country during the month of March. The movement raises not only the theme of the importance of agrarian reform, but also violence against rural women.
“We demand that this area, which was previously used to rape women, be destined for the settlement of these families, so that we can produce healthy food and combat violence”, says Patrícia Cristiane, from the national directorate of the Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST ).
Editing: Thalita Pires
