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Brazil: Police action over evictions "outrageous"

Olga benario eviction day [Cátia Toffoletto]

We are standing in solidarity with 3,000 people who have been thrown out of their homes by police in Brazil’s largest city, São Paulo

Of the 800 families evicted from the Olga Benario community in the southern suburbs, more than 300 people are spending their fourth night sleeping rough on São Paulo’s streets tonight (Thursday) and another 100 are sheltering in a nearby church.

Pauline Taylor McKeown, CAFOD head of international programmes, says: "This is a terrible situation. Men, women and young children are sleeping on the streets without proper sanitation and care.

I am appalled at the violence used during the eviction. Women and children had to flee burning homes and were faced with tear gas and police in riot gear.

Pauline Taylor-McEown

Alternative must be found

"This is now their fourth day living on the streets. The state government has offered the families homeless shelters but this means families are separated. An acceptable alternative must be found quickly."

On Monday, following a court order to evict the residents, 250 police stormed the Olga Benario encampment in the southern suburbs of São Paulo and were met by opposition as families tried to defend their homes from being bulldozed.

No government officials were present to negotiate a peaceful departure for families. Witnesses report that, as residents threw stones at flanks of police armed with guns, shields and batons, the police retaliated with tear gas.

Pauline Taylor McKeown added: "I am appalled at the violence used during the eviction. Women and children had to flee burning homes and were faced with tear gas and police in riot gear.

"CAFOD has worked with community organisations in Olga Benario for two years and I have seen this community first hand. This is an established community fighting hard to retain the dignity they deserve. This treatment of them is outrageous."

With temperatures in São Paulo dropping to 13 degrees at night, and rain and fog forecast for this week, along with the lack of sanitation, the hundreds of people sleeping on the streets risk illness.

The 3,000-strong community of Olga Benario had been living for two years on 14,000 square metres of disused land owned by a local bus company.

The Brazilian constitution, rewritten in 1988, recognises the right to decent housing and states that property must serve a "social function". This means disused land can be seized by the government to provide social housing.

In talks with the state government, community representatives yesterday demanded emergency funds to pay for accommodation until a better alternative can be found. But after four hours’ of meetings, no agreement had been reached.

Our partner APOIO has been working with the owner of the land, the municipal authorities and the state and federal governments to gain hand-over of the land.

The public defenders office of the state of São Paulo affirms that, although the bus company claims it is the owner of the property, under the City Master Plan the neighbourhood has been designated an "Area of Special Interest" as it is underused, and must be used for the construction of affordable housing.

Osmar Silva Borges, from APOIO, says: "The state must recognise that there are lives and human beings involved here. They say they don't have the 'legal means' to do more - but we know they do.

"What is lacking is political will. They just wanted to put out the 'media fire' but we are asking for definitive housing solutions. Until then families have decided to remain camped out in the mud and rain."

The Olga Benario Encampment was established by the Forum of Housing and Environment of the State of São Paulo (FOMMAESP) and in association with the Front for the Struggle for Housing (FLM).

Our partner APOIO has been supporting FOMMAESP and FLM in negotiating hand-over of the land. APOIO is part of a CAFOD and EC- supported programme which seeks to pressure the government to take responsibility for providing definitive housing for families such as those living in Olga Benario.

APOIO’s Felicia Mendes said: "Over the past two years we have struggled so that this unoccupied land can be handed over to the local government and used for social housing. We’ll keep going until the end."

Picture credited under creative commons licence