Man in Brazil arrested after 16 years
PARA, BRAZIL (BDCi) – A former Brazilian police officer has been sentenced for his involvement in the killing of 19 Amazon protesters 16 years ago.
Colonel Mario Colares Pantoja (pictured left), who has managed to stay free through the appeals system, was sentenced in 2002 to 258 years in prison.
However, a judge in Para decided Pantoja had exhausted the appeals process, calling for his arrest as well as that of fellow officer Major Jose Maria Pereira de Oliveira.
He remains at large with a prison term of 158 years.
The two were in charge of a battalion ordered to clear 1,000 landless protesters blocking a road near Eldorado do Carajas in April of 1996.
Prosecutors say the police officers began to clear the road after nightfall, with 19 protesters shot and killed at close range.
Though they were sentenced, over 100 defendants were acquitted.
Today, land-related conflicts are on the rise.
According to a new report, there have been over 1,000 such cases in 2011 alone, a 15% increase from last year.
But only 29 people were killed in fights for land, compared to 34 in 2010.
Many of the land issues stem from the fact that much of Brazil’s arable land is under the control of wealthy landowners.
By: Diego Díaz Source: BBC Photo: Google 9 May 2012
8:25 a.m. P.D.T.