Modern Day Quilombos and the State in Brazil

Upside Down World points us to this article on the conditions of modern-day Quilombo communities in Brazil. Historically speaking, quilombos in Brazil were communities of runaway slaves and ex-slaves in Brazil who made their way to the interior, establishing their own homes, communities, and lifestyles far away from Portuguese settlement. However, these communities did not go away with the abolition of slavery in 1888, and the racial inequalities of Brazil remain obvious in modern day Quilombos today. Virtually none of the Quilombos owns its land. Malnourishment is extreme, as is the poverty (the article claims 91% of quilombo residents don't make 190 dollars a month, and that's below the minimum wage in Brazil. And remember - in Brazil, incomes are generally measured in how many minimum wages you make a month - i.e. two, four, six minimum wages, etc. - so the fact that they are below one minimum wage speaks volumes of their poverty). And, not surprisingly, 70% of the population of the quilombos is of African descent (and, not coincidentally, these communities are ignored by the majority of Brazil's media and population).

While I'm all for the government trying to help these communities in areas like nutrition, land-ownership, and improved living conditions, I'm not sure how helpful it will be. First, there's the simple issue of efficiency - while the ends are noble, the means are complex. Added to this, there is the fact that, in order to be recognized and gain title, "the process involves experts ranging from anthropologists to land surveyors." I'm simply not quite sure how the quilombos (who again, don't exactly have easy access to things like telephones, internet, and government offices in their isolation and living conditions) are supposed to easily enter this process. It could be easier than it seems in the article - I simply don't know. Still, it strikes me as complicated. Finally, there is the question of what happens after the recognition. Will the deeds stand? And will the deeds do anything to protect these communities in case a large landowner or company (foreign or national) comes to these areas in an effort to gain some of the land of the quilomboas?

Again, I'm not saying all of these negative possible outcomes are likely - I simply don't know. And it is absolutely great that the government is trying to move forward on this (though the fact that it hasn't been completed yet is frustrating - despite the fact that Fernando Henrique Cardoso started a similar project, I'm guessing it wasn't really high on his list of priorities during his administration, to put it politely). I just hope that these communities can find some way (government sponsored or not) to improve their living conditions.