{"id":29842,"date":"2016-06-24T09:00:07","date_gmt":"2016-06-24T12:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/?p=29842"},"modified":"2023-08-23T12:20:54","modified_gmt":"2023-08-23T15:20:54","slug":"zacarias-fishing-community-holds-resistance-themed-june-party-in-response-to-violations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=29842","title":{"rendered":"Zacarias Fishing Community Holds Resistance-Themed June Party in Response to Violations [IMAGES]"},"content":{"rendered":"

Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas\"\"<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Community members of the Zacarias<\/a> fishing community located in the municipality of Maric\u00e1<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0Rio de Janeiro State and members of the Rio de Janeiro State Legislative Assembly (Alerj) gathered in Zacarias on Saturday June 18<\/a>\u00a0for an Arraial de Resist\u00eancia. The resistance-themed traditional June party was held in response to the human rights violations<\/a>\u00a0related to\u00a0the upcoming development of a luxury resort in the area<\/a>. At the event, government representatives officially presented a new\u00a0report on those violations to the Zacarias community.<\/p>\n

\"Canoe<\/a><\/p>\n

The Arraial da Resist\u00eancia<\/a>\u00a0celebrated\u00a0the Zacarias community\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0resistance<\/a> against real estate developers looking to remove the residents there in order to build a resort. The event consisted of several activities during which people from the community and supporters came together to play soccer in the local field, participate in mandala building workshops, canoe racing, and documentary screenings about Zacarias’ resistance. The day ended\u00a0with a night of traditional forr\u00f3\u00a0and square dance in celebration of the community\u2019s long history and thriving culture.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Zacarias<\/a><\/p>\n

Zacarias is a traditional fishing community of approximately 150 families that has thrived on the coastal Restinga Reserve located 60km east of downtown Rio de Janeiro for the past 200 years, first appearing on maps in 1790. The people of Zacarias have fought against the threat of eviction<\/a>\u00a0for the past 73 years. The most recent violations in the area have been committed by a private real estate company IDB Brasil, a group owned by\u00a0Spanish firm Cetya.<\/p>\n

\"Government<\/a><\/p>\n

At the resistance gathering, Neighborhood Association leader Vilson Correa stated: \u201cWe are strong. We are resisting.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The event was also an opportunity for government representatives to\u00a0officially present the\u00a0report on human rights violations in Zacarias<\/a> by real estate developers who received special environmental licensing.\u00a0<\/span>The report was compiled by Cecilia Viera de Melo and state government representative\u00a0Flavio Serafini of Niter\u00f3i<\/a> under the State Commission for the Defense of Human Rights and Citizenship, presented on April 30\u00a0at Alerj<\/a>. Serafini spoke at Saturday\u2019s event, saying: \u201cOur mandate does not think that people who have lived for hundreds of years on the same land should be evicted\u00a0as soon as someone with money wants to expropriate their land.\u201d<\/p>\n

The report claims that\u00a0environmental licensing to develop the area \u201cputs the traditional fishing community in a vulnerable situation of pressure and potential violence.\u201d The\u00a0intimidation and presence of representatives of IDB Brasil in Zacarias before any environmental licensing was issued fragmented the community and cut off routes for fisherman to access the ocean with boats.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Party<\/a><\/p>\n

Serafini also stated that Zacarias is not the only traditional fishing community at risk of being removed due to real estate speculation<\/a>. Earlier this month, a 23-year-old man was killed<\/a>\u00a0in his home\u00a0<\/span>in Trindade, Paraty in Rio de Janeiro State over a land dispute between developers and the traditional residents who are fighting to stay. Moreover, exceptions and violations of environmental law are widely overlooked in Rio State’s\u00a0Costa Verde region, with wealthy squatters commonly building houses in protected areas<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Check out our photo gallery of the day’s events (click here for album on Flickr<\/a>):<\/h3>\n