# Quilombola communities challenge palm oil firms over land in Pará

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/blockades-checkpoints-and-court-action-fending-off-brazils-biofuel-giants-in-the-amazon/
- Published: 2026-10-22T11:00:41+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-22T11:33:32+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/oct/22/quilombolas-indigenous-amazon-brazil-biofuels-palm-oil
- Topics: Americas, Business, World

## Key points

- Quilombolas are resisting palm oil firms’ expansion in Pará.
- Residents have used blockades and checkpoints to reclaim land.
- Land recognition and forest protection remain uncertain.

## Summary

Quilombola communities in Pará, descendants of enslaved Africans, say palm oil companies have taken over traditional lands and restricted their access. After years of displacement, threats and violence, some residents have organised blockades and checkpoints to reclaim territory and restore damaged forest.

The dispute intensified after Brasil BioFuels took over a large regional operation in 2020 and filed more than 1,000 police reports against community members. Residents cite pollution linked to palm oil production, including dead fish in the Acará River; company security staff and an executive were charged with torture over a 2021 protest incident, and the case remains pending. The article says communities have also built homes, schools and community centres, while fearing that a potential Flavio Bolsonaro victory could further hinder formal recognition of their land rights.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.