We have just received word that a group of armed landowners badly beat up Br. Rodrigo and almost killed him in a failed shooting attempt. The violence targeted him and other landless movement promoters who were with him on the 21st of September 1998 in Santa Vitória, Minas Gerais state of Brazil. This incident marks a further escalation of the tensions in the area between the landowners and the landless families. We will soon let you know how to proceed as regards letters of protest against the violence and messages of support to Br. Rodrigo and his collaborators accompanying the landless in their struggle for justice.

Here is a chronology sent to us describing what happened. ASSAULT AND ATTEMPTED MURDER OF BR. RODRIGO DE CASTRO AMÉDÉE PÉRET, OFM, (COORDINATOR OF THE PASTORAL LAND COMMISSION OF THE DIOCESE OF UBERLÂNDIA) AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE LANDLESS MOVEMENT BY GROUP OF ARMED LANDOWNERS BRIEF SUMMARY Early in the morning on 21 September 1998, 80 landless families occupied a small part of the Perobas farm, an area comprising 1,500 hectares, in Santa Vitória, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Landowners belonging to the Union for the Defense of Rural Landowners formed an armed group and went to the encampment area of the landless families and started a brush fire. The Minas Gerais Police was present and saw everything without intervening. Wearing face masks, some of the landowners assaulted the landless threatening to kill them. Members of the Diocesan group Pastoral and Social Animation of Rural Areas (APR) were assaulted by the armed group of landowners while trying to reach the area. It was here that the landowners tried to kill Br. Rodrigo.

More detailed description of what happened: The morning of 22 September 1998 the owner of the farm (where the land occupation was taking place) with five other landowners armed with weapons went to the Perobas farm. They went to the area where the landless families were camped and threatened to kill them if they did not leave within one hour. At this point the landowners left to round up more people as reinforcements. In the meantime, the Military Police arrived, watching without intervening. Around 2:00 PM 40 small trucks arrived carrying 100 armed landowners — some wearing facemasks — when they surrounded the area and set it on fire. The landless families were forced to abandon the area at 6:00 PM on 22 September 1998. During this time, Br. Rodrigo and another collaborator of the Diocesan Pastoral Land Commission — Marcelo Resende — were in Santa Vitória contacting the local civil and military authorities. At 4:00 PM Br. Rodrigo, Marcelo and other members of the National Workers Union (CUT) sought the local magistrate. The magistrate was surprised to hear about what was happening because the landowners had never filed a request to have the landless families leave their property. In the meantime, Br. Rodrigo and his collaborator were told by the Regional Command of the Military Police of Minas Gerais that an agreement had been reached and the conflict between the landowners and the landless families was resolved with both leaving the area. Br. Rodrigo then left to go to the occupation site. The police sent three cars led by a Major. With the confirmation that everything had been resolved, three cars headed for the Perobas farm: a red "Elba" with CUT members aboard, a "Rivelino" with members the Landless Movement, a "Gol" with Br. Rodrigo, Marcel Resende and Zé Henrique of the CUT group of Triângulo Mineiro. After having driven ten kilometers they were blocked by two small trucks (driven by the landowners). Three people were assaulted while others were able to escape in one of the cars which was shot at by the landowners. The others were forced out of the cars. One of the landowners said "Let’s take a walk together". The other said "We can’t do what we wanted now because you let the others escape". One of the landowners punched Br. Rodrigo in the face who fell to the ground. The other landowners started kicking him in the head causing him to break into convulsions and to lose consciousness. At this point the assailants let Marcelo and Zé Henrique come to Br. Rodrigo’s aid putting him in the back seat of the car. Then one of the landowners put a gun to Rodrigo and fired. By chance the bullet did not reach him going through the back seat instead. At this point the police arrived and the landowners fled without "finishing the job" they had set to do.

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