Nicinha’s body is found after five months missing

MAB activist in Porto Velho (RO), Nilce de Souza Magalhães, was murdered January this year and her body was missing

The body of Nilce de Souza Magalhães, known as Nicinha, has been found on this Tuesday 21^st in the hydro-power dam’s lake of Jirau. Nicinha, leadership of MAB in Rondônia was missing since January 7^th.

Her body was found only 400 metres away from where she used to live. Her body was found by the workers of the dam, her hands and feet were tied by a rope and tied to a rock.

Two daughters of Nicinha, called by the forensic medicine facility to recognize the body, confirmed that the watch and clothes found with the body belongs to their mother. The DNA results will come out only over approximately 15 days.

Impunity

Nicinha was seen for the last time at her house, canvas-tent, where she lived with her husband Nei, at an encampment with other fisher families, affected by the the hydro-power plant Jirau, place named “Velha Mutum Paraná”.

Circa of two months ago, Edione Pessoa da Silva, who was is prison after confessing to murder Nicinha, escaped from the State Penitentiary “Edvan Mariano Rosendo”, located in Porto Velho (RO).

Nicinha was known in the region for the struggle in defense of the affected populations, denouncing human rights violations committed by the consortium responsible for the Jirau power plant, called Energia Sustentável do Brasil (ESBR). Nicinha was daughter of rubber extractors who came from Acre to Abuna (Porto Velho) in Rondonia, where she lived almost fifty years and was evicted along with other fishers due to the construction of the dam. The encampment where they had lived had no access to clean water or electricity.
Nilce made several complaints over the years, attending public hearings and events, including, pointed out the serious impacts of predatory fishing activity on the Madeira River. The complaints generated two civil investigations being conducted by the Federal Public Ministry and State on the non implementation of the Programme of Support to Fishing activity and another of criminal criminal character, because of data manipulation in monitoring reports.

Still very emotional by the appearance of Nicinha’s body, MAB leaders reaffirmed the need to solve the case and punish the guilty. Soon, a political act in honor of the militant will be convened in Porto Velho.