Public Prosecutor’s Office of Pará points to risks in Indigenous student housing

By Fabyo Cruz – From Cenarium

BELÉM (PA) – Munduruku Indigenous students living in Santarém (PA) while pursuing higher education at the Federal University of Western Pará (Ufopa) have denounced the precarious conditions of the support houses where they reside. The properties, maintained by the Jacareacanga City Hall, suffer from leaks, mould, makeshift electrical installations, and lack basic safety. The complaint led the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPF) to carry out an inspection of the sites on 28 April.

The houses, located in the neighbourhoods of Aldeia and Caranazal, accommodate newly arrived students in the municipality. Speaking to CENARIUM, the president of the Munduruku Indigenous Student Collective of Upper and Middle Tapajós, Muraycoko (Ceimant Muraycoko), Nicinildo Caitano Kaba, said the group had been demanding action from the Jacareacanga Secretariat of Education for over a year, but had received no effective response.

“It was due to this delay that we brought the complaint to the MPF. During the inspection, it was found that one of the houses, in the Aldeia neighbourhood, is unfit to accommodate students. The structure is completely compromised,” stated Nicinildo.

In total, there are more than 40 Indigenous students in Santarém, many sharing cramped spaces and even sleeping in common rooms. The housing capacity is insufficient: one house holds about 14 people and the other, at most, ten. The remaining students have to rely on rented accommodation, often paid with great difficulty.

“There are students sleeping in living rooms, people who’ve had their belongings stolen. It’s a risky situation. There’s no fire extinguisher, broken windows, exposed wiring. This puts our safety at risk and even affects our performance at university,” Nicinildo reports.

Federal Prosecutor Thais Medeiros da Costa, who led the inspection, reported the identification of several structural and safety issues, such as leaks, water damage, damaged or missing ceilings, and poor ventilation in the rooms, in addition to electrical hazards.

“This entire situation shows that access to education is undermined when students do not even have a decent home to return to, to study and rest between classes,” said Prosecutor Thais Costa.

The inspection was attended by representatives of the Indigenous collective and the Municipal Secretariat of Education, Culture and Sport (Semecd) of Jacareacanga. So far, however, according to Nicinildo, neither Secretary Luziane Pereira nor any other City Hall representative has given a concrete response on what measures will be taken. “The secretary did come here, but said she would still consult the MPF. After that, we received no reply,” he said.

The MPF stated that, after the inspection report is completed, it will take initial steps such as requesting measures from the municipality of Jacareacanga to ensure a safe and dignified environment for the students. “The aim is to resolve, or at least mitigate, the identified problems, which are described in the visit summary and will now be subject to investigation,” said Federal Prosecutor Thais Costa.

CENARIUM is attempting to contact the press office of Jacareacanga City Hall and maintains an open space for response.

Edited by Adrisa De Góes
Reviewed by Gustavo Gilona
Translated from Portuguese by Gustô Alves