In the Amazon, the problem began to worsen in the 1970s, when thousands of farmers received small holdings under a colonization program run by the country's military dictators. It has taken on an international dimension in recent years as the world monitors the area's environmental degradation. The fraud-busting effort has had mixed success. But, because of a Byzantine registration system, endemic corruption in the legal system, and the glacial pace of Brazilian justice, the government has not been able to find or prosecute many offenders. The statute of limitations in Jamil's case has expired.
Authorities say they struggle to win prosecutions even in current cases.
Meanwhile, police have shut down six land deed offices. One judge has been removed and others investigated. The government is also setting up more- stringent reporting requirements when land changes hands, and authorities are also encouraging states to ratify a 1979 law requiring land sellers to prove ownership. But entrenched interests, including politicians charged with enacting the law, have little desire to enforce change, Carvalho says. Land is power in Brazil, where unequal land distribution has triggered rural violence.