LETTER OF THE “MAY MOTHERS” (MÃES DE MAIO) FROM BRASIL TO PRESIDENT DILMA ROUSSEFF

We write here, from inside the war. We write in this moment, in the middle of a new wave of police violence in the state of São Paulo, that has already killed about 200 people in the last 2 months, especially young poor black residents of the periphery, making us relive the crimes tha took place in May 2006.

We write under this unsustainable tension and pressure situation, Beyond of citizens of São Paulo, We are Brazilian citizens and as citizens, we have the right to appeal to the Presidency when the agents and all state bodies insist on showing themselves deaf and dumb in front of our cry for life. And continue to commit atrocities against their own population. Against us.

It is not the first time we appeal to the Presidency, although the previous times we have not yet received any response from the you… It happens that we can not expect more, because we are dealing with thousands of lives that are gone; hundreds of lives that could have been saved if some of the following measures had been effected, and many others that still could be saved if some action is taken urgently. Without further ado, after the Lady has been a victim of the state and understands when we talk about pressure limit and urgency, so we list below some of the emergency referrals we would like to personally explain to the Lady and the Lords of the Presidency, and watch them come out of the paper urgently:

1 – We ask, as an emergency, the monitoring political and legal by the Federal Level (Presidency, Ministry of Justice, Office of Human Rights, National Secretary of Justice, Federal Prosecutor, Federal Public Defender and CNJ) of the Current Crisis in Public Security in the State of São Paulo, which has already killed over 200 people over the last two months. All major legal and executive spheres of the state of São Paulo have shown, repeatedly, since the crimes in May 2006, his inability to deal with public safety crises like this in 2012, as has already occurred in April 2010 and May 2006, among other times.

2 – We want a final opinion of the Presidency on the Request for Shift Racing, the Federalization of Crimes Investigation in May 2006, required by our movement for over two years (May 2010). At the time of the crimes in May 2006, more than 500 deaths in the short period of about one week – More people killed than the already terrible numbers of dead and missing in the 20 years of Civil-Military Dictatorship in Brazil, however nearly ALL cases from 2006 follow still filed. We need to know what was the actual result – if there were any – of the Special Commission “Crimes of May”, created by former Human Rights Minister Paulo Vannuchi within the Council for the Defense of Human Rights (CDDPH), the Commission, after almost 2 years of work, has not given us any detailed opinion;

3 – We also want an effective referral to abolish definitively the records of “resistance followed by death”, “Self Resistance” and the similars across the country – the true “license to kill” unconstitutionaly used left and right by the killercops throughout the country. As already envisaged in PNDH-3, is urgently needed to abolish Article 329 of the Penal Code, and profoundly improve the article 292 of the same. Like any other citizen of Brazil, the investigation of all violent deaths caused by agents of the State shall be treated as cases of homicide (intentional or negligent).

4 – We need urgently to create a national policy focused on the Families of Victims of State Violence. A policy that aims guidelines for the Support, Protection, Psycho-Social Assistance, Repair (Material and Psychic) and indemnity to all Direct Family who are also Collateral and Related Victims of the State violence;

5 – Please pass the CNJ to follow, with the Ombudsman, the following cases of deaths related to periods of violent crimes in May 2006; Crimes April 2010, the Slaughter of MCs in Santos, and the crimes in June / July 2012 in São Paulo;

6 – As well as the situation in Sao Paulo, it is urgent the need of Strengthening and Enforcement of all State Public Defender – particularly in the case of Santa Catarina, and the Strengthening of State Practice and Major state acting from the Federal Public Defender office;

7 – Judgment and punishment also for senior officers, supervisors, law enforcement officials and for the prison system, responsible for state agents who committed or commit abuses, torture and summary executions;

8 – It is also necessary the Real Effective external control of police activities by prosecutors and police ombudsman with external participation and population control, external control of police and prosecutors for civil society organizations;

9 – Expansion of spaces, effectively democratic and popular, making power to increase the monitoring, oversight, transparency and control for the population related to the actions of prosecutors, judges and justices;

10 – Revision of criteria, publicity and information for formation of the Jury, so that effectively represent the sociiety (most of whom are women, poor and non-white) and be properly informed and motivated;

11 – Against the prohibition of family and friends of victims appear in clothing with symbols and pictures in the trial sessions of state agents in violation of human rights;

12 – against judicial decisions that grant freedom to state officials accused of human rights violations when such release mean threat and intimidation to family members, witnesses, social movements and human rights defenders;

13 – against judicial decisions to postpone trials of state officials accused of rights violations, based on allegations as frivolous or questionable health problems of attorneys of the defendants;

14 – We require also the Presidency of the Republic and the Ministry of Justice the first referrals to the creation of a Committee of the Memory, Truth and Justice for the victims of state agents during the democratic period. In Brazil, in recent years, have died killed about 48,000 people annually, according to recent studies published by the UN and released by the Brazilian Ministry of Justice. Much of these deaths and disappearances committed by state agents in full compliance of its obligations, which should be to ensure the right to life and freedom to come and go in peace, for all citizens. Following the example of recent efforts that have been made about the Brazilian Civil-Military Dictatorship (1964-1988), it is also necessary to advance in the Right to Memory, Truth and Justice for victims of the democratic period (also as recommended by the PNDH-3) ;

15 – Finally, we also call the Establishment of a Committee on Amnesty for Prisoners, Persecuted, Political Deaths and Disappearances by state agents during the democratic period. As has been established within the Ministry of Justice in relation to the families and victims of the Civil-Military Dictatorship, we need to move in the same sense with the Prisoners, Persecuted, Political Deaths and Disappearances of Democracy. In addition to the homicide rates of countries at war, we currently have in Brazil more than 500 thousand people arrested, according to the National Penitentiary Department (DEPEN). There are still many people being politicaly pursued, threatened with death or missing – like our friend Paulo Alexandre Gomes, one of the missing Crimes from May 2006 who exactly today would be completing 30 years of age. The state needs to ensure the Right to Truth and Justice for all of those citizens and their families.

Today, July 23, 2012, are exactly 19 years since the Candelaria Massacre happened, such cowardice committed against children and teenagers living already in the streets, in front of one of the main churches in the center of Rio de Janeiro. Today also our dear Paulo Alexandre Gomes, one of the disappearance political Crimes from May 2006, would be completing his youthful 30th anniversary of a life which, however, was interrupted violently by agents of the ROTA when he was only 23 years old . Today, amid the new wave of police violence and the actions of these killers, we demand this conversation and these urgent measures of the Presidency. To the children killed in Candelaria and the missing young Paul Alexander we dedicate this, our attitude of struggle for Truth and Justice.

This is not a request for a favor, but the requirement of fundamental human rights we have as citizens and citizens of Brazil, just as you and everyone else born here has got. Right to Life and the minimum Freedom to come and go safely, without the risk of death by state agents simply because of our origin, social class or skin color.

It is necessary to take concrete and urgent actions, by the unacceptable price of new lives lost if nothing remains to be done!

For the Right to Memory, Truth and Justice: Yesterday and Today!

The Poor Black Population can not continue to be exterminated as subpeople! Are we not all equal?!

May Crimes Never Again, Peace in the Suburbs!

Strong in the Struggle,

The “May Mothers” of Brazilian Democracy