In April 1996, the MST organized a march of the Landless from the southern part of the state of Pará with the intention of demanding Agrarian Reform. On April 4, 1996, approximately 500 Landless set from the Acampamento da Juventade. On April 14, 1996 began marching south from Belem, the state capital. By April 17th the number of marchers had swelled to about 1,500. The march occupied and blocked PA-150 in Eldorado de Carajás with the intention of pressuring the state and federal government to implement agrarian reform.
At about 4 PM on April 17, 155 state military police from two brigades surrounded the MST on the highway and began to fire tear gas as well as live ammunition from rifles and machine guns. Nineteen landless were killed instantly, later two dies from injuries and 69 were wounded.
The MST begins the long process of fighting the impunity of the military police and their supports in the executive, legislative and judicial branches. The evidence indicates a cold-blooded massacre. The autopsies indicate that many of the dead had been beaten prior to execution style shootings.
None of the 155 soldiers who participated in the shooting were indicted. Neither the governor who authorized the action, the minister of public security or the commander general of the military police were indicted. There were two convictions: Colonel Mario Colares Pantoja and Major José Maria Pereira de Oliveira. Pantoja was sentenced to 228 years in prison by jury trial in Belém. He remains free pending appeals which been continuously delayed since 2009. Major de Oliveira was also convicted and sentenced to 158 years in prison. He has appealed the sentence and remains free pending appeal. The appeal has never been scheduled.
