Peasants of Camp Manoel Ribeiro, Rondonia (Brazil), successfully repelled an eviction attempt carried out by armed men this week. On January 18, two gunmen of the Nossa Senhora landlords, approached one of the gates leading towards the lands of the peasants of Camp Manoel Ribeiro in an obvious attempt of intimidating them. Realizing the peasants were not intimidated so easily however, they proclaimed they would be visiting for talks as they had to remove parts of the Camp for cattle. The peasants however did not retreat and stood their ground, until the gunmen went away for the time being.
In the afternoon of the same day the landlords of the area send out a large detachment of their lackeys. Hooded gunmen, alongside seven police and special forces vehicles headed for the Camp in order to expel the peasants. The access road to the revolutionary area was fully blocked off by vehicles of the Shock Troops of the Military Police accompanied by the Environmental police.
Nevertheless, the peasants did not retreat: Responding to the advance of the repressive forces that threatened to invade part of the occupied area, the peasants set up barricades in flames and launched fireworks. Revolutionary songs were sung and slogans were shouted by the families who did not back down in the face of the provocations of the reaction.
Faced with the combative resistance, after about half an hour, the vehicles lifted the blockade, went to the headquarters of the Nossa Senhora farm after removing some of the banners of the LCP at the fringe of the lands. These however were replaced by the peasants the next day. To have repelled this unlawful attempt of expelling the peasants at Camp Manoel Ribeiro is a great victory that was possible for the heroic resistance of its inhabitants.
Around midday on January 1 police in Ibagué, the Capitol of Colombias Department of Tolima, shot and killed 23-year-old Jerson Stiven Vega Vela. Police was patrolling the neighborhood he lived in, when a neighbor started throwing insults at the police. In order to calm down the situation Jerson attempted to talk to his neighbor, but was subsequently attacked by the police himself. When police reinforcements arrived and the situation became more agitated, Jerson was first shot with a taser and after pulling out the wires himself again shot by the police with a handgun. According to the reports, the cop who shot him and who Jerson had some history with, prior to pulling the trigger shouting that he was going to kill Jerson. After shooting him, the police did not call a emergency ambulance but in the most careless way dragged Jerson to the next hospital were he died of his injuries.
Appalled by the conduct of the police and killing of a youth, Jersons family together with neighbors, friends and people sympathetic mobilized for a manifestation denouncing the police and calling for justice. Until now, the police officer having shot Jerson was merely transferred to a different station, but is still conducting his “duty”.
Driven by exploitation and oppression about 9.000 people came together seven days ago in Honduras in an attempt to march towards the US and gain admittance. Acting as good lackeys of Yankee imperialism Guatemala and Mexico, both countries through which the so-called „migrant caravan“ would have to pass, immediately implemented special protocols allowing for more police powers and the deployment of the army in the respective areas.
Previously, „migrant caravans“ frequently lead to a sharpening of the contradictions in the US, with the poverty and misery imposed by Yankee imperialism over Latin America arriving back on its doorsteps only to be slowly grounded down amidst US authorities, Mexican criminals and a lack of perspective. To avoid a repeat of this situation, the US in 2020 put further pressure on the Governments of Guatemala and Mexico to quash any such movements before reaching the US border in the future.
Following this, Guatemalan police and army cracked down hard this week on those seeking a better life to the north. Despite attempts of the caravan to force their way through the army blockades, they were beaten down and for now have dispersed. While confrontations took place in Guatemala, Mexican army and police at the same time produced one image of „armed and ready“ troops stationed at the border or during drills after another – only to strangle the least bit of hope and to satisfy Yankee interests.
