Brazilian judge suspends eviction of 700 families in Várzea Grande

Judge Ester Belém Nunes of the 1st Civil Court in Várzea Grande ordered the suspension of an eviction that threatened roughly 700 families living in the Princesinha do Sol neighbourhood. The decision follows intense advocacy by state deputy Eduardo Botelho (MDB), who met the magistrate on 23 June with residents, their lawyer and a land‑regularisation consultant.

The disputed area of 28.88 hectares was originally claimed by businessman Silvio Pires da Silva, whose successful lawsuit sought the return of the land. The judge recharacterised the case as a collective urban land‑conflict, emphasizing the constitutional right to housing and the need for public‑policy solutions. Consequently, the process was sent to the Tribunal de Justiça de Mato Grosso’s Comissão de Soluções Fundiárias for mediation. The municipality of Várzea Grande also entered the case as a third interested party, arguing that a mass removal would jeopardise its own land‑regularisation programmes. “Fazemos gestão junto à Justiça para encontrar uma solução jurídica positiva para a comunidade,” Botelho said after the ruling.