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Brazilian quilombos rebel against invisibility

2022-09-26T10:43:04.401Z


For the first time in 132 years of history, Brazil will count ex-slave communities in the national survey


Quilombos are a part of Brazilian history that many would prefer to forget.

These remote communities were founded by slaves fleeing forced labor.

In a country where slavery was only abolished in 1888, being the last nation in the world to do so, they have become populations relegated by social policies.

This year, for the first time, they will be counted in the national census, a giant step for activists fighting to bring visibility to the problem.

It is estimated that there are about 6,000 quilombo territories, although it is an inaccurate figure.

For years, these communities have been neglected by the government and, in certain cases, openly discriminated against.

In 2017, President Jair Bolsonaro had to pay a fine of 50,000 reais ($10,000) for saying that the inhabitants of the quilombos "are not good for anything, not even to procreate."

Many of these small towns are self-sufficient, but pollution threatens their fragile economy.

In 2013, a propane boat exploded in lha de Mare, depriving several fishing communities of the tourist season.

The activity of artisanal fishermen on the island also faces the waste of a petrochemical port in the same bay.

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Source: elparis

All news articles on 2022-09-26

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