These past days, the Para Police announced that they had arrested three people connected to this crime: two hitmen and the landowner who had hired them.

However, members of the Pastoral Land Commission, for instance, are questioning the police authorities about the delays in the arrests and state that there are other people responsible for these murders, and that they could have run away.

Beyond identifying the murderers, Para’s biggest problem is that the attacks against leaders don’t stop, and all who are part of social organizations seem to be sentenced to death.

“If the government doesn’t act on this, more workers will die. Not because they will be murdered, they will die of hunger”, said Osmar Cruz Lima to the Blog da Reforma Agraria, according to the Landless Rural Workers Movement.

Osmar made those statements from Praialta Piranheira, in Nova Ipixuna, where the couple who was murdered used to live. Jose Claudio and Maria’s friends don’t have any doubt: the reason behind their deaths is their struggle in defense of the Amazon forest, which was opposed by the strong interests of the timber industry.

Another article published in June by the MST, also related to the deaths of Jose Claudio and Maria, dealt with the responsibility of state institutions: “The government is somehow a co-perpetrator of the crime”, said human rights lawyer, Jose Batista Afonso.

www.mst.org.br