Brazil Advances Quilombola Land Titling and Court Orders State Compensation

The National Council of Justice (CNJ) completed the definitive land registry for the Quilombola Territory of Alcântara in Maranhão, covering about 46,000 hectares. The registration, finalized during the National Meeting of Land‑Solutions Commissions on 18‑19 June, follows the Alcântara Agreement signed in September 2024 and fulfills an Inter‑American Court of Human Rights ruling that recognized violations of collective property rights during the launch‑center project.

Separately, Brazil's Superior Tribunal de Justiça (STJ) ruled that the Union must pay collective moral damages to the Catuabo community in Sergipe, which comprises 142 families awaiting demarcation of 886.7 hectares. The court held that the federal government's prolonged inaction constitutes presumptive harm, overturning an earlier decision that required proof of actual damage. The judgment reinforces constitutional and international obligations to timely demarcate quilombola lands.