Rural leader’s 9-year-old son is murdered in Pernambuco

A 9 year-old, Jonatas de Oliveira, the son of rural leader Geovane da Silva Santos, was shot dead by hooded men who invaded the family’s house in the municipality of Barreiros, in the Zona Mata Sul, near Recife (PE).  Geovane was shot in the shoulder. Jonatas’ mother and three other children were also at the scene, but were not injured.

Geovane da Silva Santos is the president of the Association of Residents of Engenho Roncadorzinho, a community formed by family farmers about 40 years ago. The settlement arose after the bankruptcy of the companies where they worked or were creditors, such as Santo André Mill and Central Barreiros.

The region “has been under several threats and violence promoted by companies that economically exploit the area, with intimidation, destruction of crops and contamination of water sources and waterholes on the property through the targeted and criminal application of highly toxic pesticides”, denounces the Pernambuco Federation of Agricultural Workers (Fetape). According to local farmers heard by G1, the family’s house had already been the target of other attacks.