In Alcantara, Maranhao, located on the Northeastern Brazilian coast, numerous traditional Black communities known as quilombos reside. These communities, whose livelihoods are rooted in farming and fishing, have been established by their ancestors who were either freed or escaped from Brazilian plantations.
Quilombos are scattered across Brazil in thousands, but only a fraction possess land titles. Many face threats from development projects, resource extraction, large-scale agriculture, and real estate. This is particularly true in Alcantara, where the communities have been under threat from the Alcantara Space Center.
However, they have not remained silent.
Welcome to episode 59 of Stories of Resistance-a podcast co-produced by The Real News and Global Exchange. We are dedicated to independent investigative journalism, supported by Global Exchange’s Human Rights in Action program. Each week, we share stories of resistance to inspire you in challenging times.
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Produced and written by Michael Fox.
Transcript
On the Northeastern Brazilian coast,
In Alcantara, Maranhao, dozens of traditional Black communities, known as quilombos, have thrived for generations.
Their livelihoods are rooted in farming and fishing, with the ocean being their primary source of sustenance.
These communities were established by their ancestors who were either freed or escaped from Brazilian plantations.
Today, over a million people across the country identify themselves as quilombolas or quilombo residents.
While there are thousands of quilombos across Brazil, only a small number possess land titles. Many face threats from development projects, resource extraction, large-scale agriculture, and real estate.
This was the case in Alcantara, where in the early 1980s, Brazil’s military dictatorship built the Alcantara Space Center. The location near the equator was ideal for launching rockets into space, but it necessitated the displacement of quilombo communities.
300 families were relocated from their ancestral homes to new inland villages far from the coast and their means of survival.
Many quilombos were left outside the new launch site’s boundaries and allowed to stay temporarily, but they remained under constant threat of removal.
When the Alcantara Space Center planned to expand, the community of Mamuna would be the first to go. However, they and their neighbors did not go quietly. They began to organize and join with other quilombos in the region.
In 2019, the United States and Brazil signed an agreement over the launch site, promising expansion, which reignited old concerns. But the residents did not go quietly. They voiced their concerns, lobbied in Brasilia, and defended their territory before the InterAmerican Court of Human Rights, which ruled in their favor.
In 2024, the government of president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva officially recognized nearly 800 square kilometers of Alcantara Quilombo Territory and committed to giving the quilombo communities the titles to their land.
Residents say their struggle continues, but they remain hopeful. Their decades-long resistance in defense of their ancestral homes and communities symbolizes unity, hope, and success.
Thank you for listening to episode 59 of Stories of Resistance. I’m your host, Michael Fox. I visited quilombo communities in Alcantara in 2019 and reported for The Real News and other outlets. If you appreciate this podcast, please consider becoming a subscriber on my Patreon. Your support makes a difference. As always, please subscribe, like, share, comment, or leave a review.
Until next time, thank you for listening.