José Alberto Moreno Mendes, also known as Doka, 47, the president of the Residents' Association of Quilombo Jaibara dos Rodrigues, was killed on Friday night (27) when he was hit by gunshots inside his community in Maranhão.
This case marks the fourth murder of a quilombola leader in the country in 2023, according to the National Coordination of Black Quilombola Communities (Conaq).
The quilombo is located in the Monge Belo territory, in the municipality of Itapecuru-Mirim. Doka was accompanied by his daughter at the time of the attack.
Witnesses stated that two men on a motorcycle entered the community and fired the shots. According to Conaq, at least 35 quilombolas have been killed in the past ten years.
Doka's quilombo was recognized by the Palmares Cultural Foundation in 2005.
Quilombola accounts indicate that the region is the scene of numerous conflicts due to land disputes, and threats are constant.