The arrival of our motor boat to the Mãe Domingas quilombo, which is located in a biosphere reservation (the Trombetas River Biological Reservation) and can only be accessed with a special permit from the Chico Mendes Institute for the Conservation of Biodiversity (ICMBio), coincides with the end of a community assembly.
The assembly has voted on a proposal that a logging company has made: it will pay what seems like a fantastic yearly rent for the right to exploit the territory. Someone informs us newcomers about the result of the voting: 15 for the loggers’ proposal, 100 against.
Although the quorum is a modest representation of the six communities - Tapagem, Mãe Cué, Abuí, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Santo Antônio and Paraná do Abuí - which make up the quilombola territory coordinated by the Mãe Domingas association, this is a significant result.
