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A28 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 21 July 2020

COVID adds to challenges for Brazil's quilombos

By MARCELO DE SOUSA we hadn't preserved the lit-
and LUCAS DUMPRHEYS tle bit of herbs we had, we
Associated Press would have died."
CABO FRIO, Brazil (AP) — In To facilitate government
a small room filled with do- aid, Brazil's national sta-
nated bananas, lettuce, tistics agency in April re-
toilet paper and more, Re- leased its estimate of how
jane Oliveira quickly pre- many quilombos exist na-
pares boxes for more than tionwide — almost 6,000 —
100 families in her commu- as well as their locations.
nity in coastal Rio de Ja- The number of people living
neiro state who are trying within them remains uncer-
to endure the coronavirus tain. The agency planned
outbreak. to count them for the first
Her community, Maria time in the 2020 census, but
Joaquina, is one of Brazil's the pandemic forced its
quilombos, settlements of delay until next year.
poor Blacks with a history While quilombos' popula-
of resistance to the gov- tions remain untallied, the
ernment — a category quilombo association is
that originally applied to tracking the pandemic's
escaped slaves. Often dis- impact on them in con-
connected from urban junction with the Socio-
life even within city limits, Rosane Da Franca, left, sews protective face masks at her home at the Maria Joaquina "Quilom- environmental Institute, an
quilombos have relatively bo" in Cabo Frio, on the outskirts of Rio de Janiero, Brazil, Sunday, July 12, 2020. environmental and indig-
high poverty rates and can Associated Press enous advocacy group.
be confused by outsiders Their data show 3,465 infec-
with other poor neighbor- the quilombo all the same. The communities of former their quilombo. tions and 136 deaths.
hoods. More than 30 were infect- slaves persisted, though not But the pandemic has At the nearby Rasa quilom-
Oliveira's hurry on July 11 to ed, Oliveira among them, until a century later did a forced people to wear bo, community members
distribute food and person- and she emerged from new constitution for the first masks and quarantine in have received not only pri-
al hygiene products — do- isolation a couple days be- time recognize their right to their own homes, Oliveira vate donations of food kits
nated by a nonprofit and a fore speaking with The As- the lands they occupied. said in the yard of a rela- and hand sanitizer, but also
company — was because sociated Press. The term quilombo gradu- tive's home. A dance show help from the government.
times are even tougher "We've been abandoned, ally expanded to include and soccer tournament "A health team came, test-
than usual for her neigh- forgotten, with no health other settlements or poor, planned for this month ed everyone; we had as-
bors. Craftspeople lost their assistance," said Oliveira, landless Afro-Brazilians as were also canceled. sistance," said Reginalda
livelihoods when fairs shut 45, who is Rio's representa- well. Oliveira said they drink a Oliveira, who is Rejane's
down. Those who worked in tive on the National Co- The descendants try to variety of traditional teas cousin. Reginalda, 41, said
hotels were laid off. Others ordination of Quilombola keep their forebears' tradi- made from the leaves of she has no complaints in
had occasionally cleaned Black Rural Communities. tions alive and, in July, Ma- various fruit trees, garlic or terms of response, but feels
houses; no longer. Brazil was the last country ria Joaquina's residents tra- an herb called boldo. adrift since her mother died
Most avoided going to the in the Western Hemisphere ditionally commemorate "Everyone uses the herbs, of COVID-19. "A part of me
city, but the virus reached to abolish slavery, in 1888. government certification of even the kids," she said. "If went with her," she said.q

German governors urge Congress to stop troop withdrawal plan

BERLIN (AP) — The gover- velop these unique and trans-Atlantic partnership.
nors of the four German highly capable structures," The letter was sent to more
states that are home to the governors wrote. "They than a dozen senators and
critical U.S. military facilities provide the necessary representatives Friday, in-
are urging members of U.S. foundation for a partner- cluding members of se-
Congress to try and force ship-based contribution to curity and foreign policy
President Donald Trump peace in Europe and the committees, and lawmak-
to back down from plans world, to which we all share ers who have spoken out
to withdraw more than a a common commitment." against the move, accord-
quarter of American troops The U.S. currently has about ing to Munich's Suedde-
from the country. 34,500 troops in Germany, utsche Zeitung.
In the letter, obtained Mon- which Trump said in June They included Republican
day by The Associated he had ordered reduced Sen. Mitt Romney, who has
Press, the governors of Ba- to 25,000. called Trump's plan a "gift
varia, Hesse, Baden-Wuert- In this Friday, May 13, 2011 file photo, Soldiers of 1AD attend a Many members of Con- to Russia," and Democrat-
temberg and Rhineland- color casing ceremony of the First Armored Division at the U.S. gress have spoken out ic Sen. Chris Coons who
Palatinate said American Army Airfield in Wiesbaden, Germany. against the plan, and the said "withdrawing nearly
facilities like the Grafen- Associated Press German governors in their 10,000 troops from Ger-
woehr training area, the letter emphasized that the many, without consulting
Ramstein and Spangda- headquarters of U.S. Euro- ability to act." American troops "serve German leadership or our
hlem air bases, the Land- pean Command "form the "For decades, Americans the strategic interests of other European allies does
stuhl Regional Medical backbone of the U.S. pres- and Germans have worked the United States" as much not make America any
Center hospital and the ence in Europe and NATO's together to build and de- as NATO interests and the safer."q