Quilombola women leaders present protection plan in Brasília

The Women's Collective of the National Coordination of Articulation of Black Rural Quilombola Communities (CONAQ) has presented an emergency protection and self-care plan for quilombola women leaders in Brasília. The initiative, named ‘Cafuné’, was submitted to the Brazilian ministries of Racial Equality, Human Rights and Citizenship, and Women.

The plan was developed following the August 2023 assassination of Maria Bernadete Pacífico, known as ‘Mãe Bernadete’, a 72-year-old leader in Bahia who was shot at least 25 times after reporting illegal land sales and deforestation.

Key proposals within the ‘Cafuné’ plan include collective self-defense actions, mental health support, community sheltering, and land regularization. Coordinated by Selma Deldina, the collective emphasized that effective protection must also address impunity, noting that threatened leaders are often forced to flee their homes while perpetrators remain free. The presentation included a documentary of the same name detailing the struggle of these leaders to defend their territories.