AMERICA/BRAZIL - Bishops close to the Quilombolas people, who claim that the land belongs to them

Brasilia (Agenzia Fides) - "The warranty of land ownership occupied by them for centuries is a constitutional duty and an ethical-moral commitment": this is how the President of the National Conference of Brazilian Bishops (CNBB) expressed himself yesterday, April 17, on the process which will be celebrated by the Supreme Court regarding the allocation of lands inhabited by native Quilombolas by the Federal Union. The document recalls that Articles 215 and 216 of the Federal Constitution ensure the natives the right to the preservation of their culture and their heritage which is intangible.
The Note of the Presidency of the CNBB, sent to Fides, is titled "Sobre as Comunidades Quilombolas " and refers to the history of Brazil: "Brazil has a historical debt with the African-Brazilian population, many of whom are the descendants of Quilombo. The warranty of title to the land they have occupied for centuries is a constitutional duty and an ethical-moral commitment. The Quilombolas are of vital importance in the structuring of the Brazilian culture. Their space in cultivating the land for survival and continuity of an original way of life, rich and particular, is recognized worldwide."
"The CNBB, based on the constitutional law (art. 215 and 216), urges respect for those laws that ensure the tradition of the Quilombolas, linked to the possession and ownership of land. The territories of the Quilombolas support the cultural memory, ethnic identity and are the principle of coexistence for the people" the text continues.
The Bishops of Brazil conclude recalling the reasons for the declaration: "In fidelity to the evangelical and preferential option for the poor, the CNBB is, once again, with the Quilombolas communities for whom they claim special protection and the blessing of Our Lady of Aparecida, the mother of all Brazilians." The document is signed by Cardinal Raymundo Damasceno Assis, Archbishop of Aparecida and President of the CNBB. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 18/4/2012)