Brazil is of great concern again.
In August 1996 he was sentenced to six years in prison by the Judicial District Court of Alhandra having been falsely accused of forming gangs and inciting them to violence. A higher court later annulled the verdict and the case was dismissed. This case is also going to be handled by the Judicial District Court for Agrarian Conflicts and similar convictions are likely to be sought. In both instances, there is evidence of local judicial and police authorities working together with large land owners who are hostile to agrarian reform and implementation of laws passed by the federal government. As one of the targets of this prosecution, the Pastoral Land Commission again asks all Human Rights Organizations to protest the unjust reintroduction of the convictions of its co-workers.