Fr. Luis Renan Pena Infante, OFM, from Colombia, JPIC coordinator for the Bolivarian Conference will be observer at Court of Justice of Para state, Brazil sentence appeal in the lawsuit of the massacre in Eldorado dos Carajasat. He will be representing the JPIC OFM Office in Rome, invited by Visa Campesina and Brazil's Landless Movement (MST).
The massacre in Eldorado dos Carajas took place on Aprill 17th, 1996 when Para state military police killed 19 landless rural workers who were participating on a march. The massacre occurred in Eldorado dos Carajas County. In August 1999 policemen were acquitted, but observing MST lawyers and Public Ministry appeal, the Court of Justice in Para decided to invalidate the sentence. Another trial occurred in 2002 and resulted in the conviction of Military Police Coronel Mario Colares Pantoja and the Captain Raimundo José Almendra Lameira, all the other career and rank and file officers who participated in the action were found innocent.
Against the acquitting of 128 military policemen the Public Ministry presented an appeal trying to cancel the verdict and requesting another trial with another jury. Against the conviction of Coronel Pantoia and Captain Lameira their attorneys filled an appeal requesting the cancellation of the sentence and a new trial.
The trial of appeal will be held in the 2nd Criminal Chamber of Justice in state of Para, Brazil, on November 19th, it will be conducted by High Court judge Romulo Nunes.
MST, Via Campesina and JPIC OFM Office are demanding the end of impunity in the state of Para, Brazil, for the conviction of the officials to be maintained and for the other officials who were found innocent to be sent to a new trial.
