Quilombola communities in São Mateus (ES) receive Interministerial Caravan

247 - During the passage of the Interministerial Caravan of the New Rio Doce Agreement through São Mateus (ES), in the last week of March, voices from the quilombola communities echoed in denunciation and hope. The territory of Sapê do Norte, heavily impacted by the Fundão dam collapse disaster in 2015, received representatives of the federal government to discuss the reparation measures foreseen in the R$ 132 billion judicial agreement signed with the mining company responsible.

“Lost income, contaminated water, animals dying… I myself lost about ten head of cattle. And sometimes the cows miscarry,” lamented Pedro Leite Costa, a quilombola from the Degredo community. Since the tragedy, he has been unable to fish, his main source of income.

Pedro, who also serves as a Master of Notorious Knowledge in the Technical Advisory Service of the Association of Fishermen, Extractivists, and Remnants of the Quilombo of Degredo, said he hopes the government's presence represents a new beginning. "I think it's the beginning of our solution. Because it's painful; only those who are in the midst of this damage know the pain they are going through."

Dialogue with communities and institutional presence - The Interministerial Caravan spent a week traveling through the areas affected by the disaster in Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo, holding meetings with affected communities to present the terms of the new reparation agreement. In São Mateus, the focus was on the quilombola communities, especially Degredo, Macuco, and Nova Vista, which are part of the Sapê do Norte territory.

On Thursday (27), leaders met with representatives from various ministries to discuss the direct impacts and planned compensation measures. The meeting also aimed to clarify doubts and combat misinformation about the new pact.

According to Isabela Cruz, director of the Secretariat for Traditional Territories, Quilombola Productive Systems, and Traditional Peoples and Communities of the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Family Agriculture, the objective was to listen, welcome, and provide information in a clear way. “It was an interesting experience to be able to go to the territories, learn about the reality of the communities, see firsthand the challenges these people face, and bring more information to clarify doubts and dispel false information that is being spread in the territory,” she stated.

Cultural recognition and collective mobilization - On Friday (28), the last day of the Caravan, government representatives met with cultural masters and renowned experts from the Macuco community. On the same day, the plenary session in the quilombola community of Nova Vista brought together around 5,5 people, marking a symbolic moment of mobilization and collective awareness.

Karen Emanuella Bezerra, a social policy analyst at the General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic, highlighted the importance of direct contact with those affected. “I want to emphasize that, since the agreement was ratified, several teams and ministries have also been in the territories. This constant contact with the communities, the bonds that are created from it, and the trust make all the difference to the work we do,” she said.

A long road to fair reparation. Almost a decade after the Mariana disaster, the quilombola community of São Mateus continues to fight for reparations, recognition, and justice. The Interministerial Caravan, while seen as progress by some, also highlighted the urgent need for concrete actions. Active listening and the presence of ministries, according to reports, are initial steps, but insufficient in the face of prolonged devastation.

The mobilization in the Sapê do Norte territory reinforces the need for reparations that go beyond financial compensation—they demand structural public policies that respect traditional ways of life and guarantee autonomy to historically neglected communities.