Video of plantation destroyed in Bahia is from 2019 and does not show Union action – 06/19/2023 – Power

It was not the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) that ordered, together with Codevasf (Companhia de Desenvolvimento dos Vales do São Francisco and Parnaíba), the destruction of plantations in the Abril Vermelho settlement, in Juazeiro, Bahia. The video in which a man makes such a statement and has now gone viral is from 2019, that is, it was recorded during the management of former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL), but, circulating in posts on social networks in June 2023, suggests that it is a current government action.

The recording, as verified by Projeto Comprova, shows an unidentified man walking between banana trees on the ground. “A situation like this, the machines running over, knocking down the people’s plant. This is an injustice, Brazil. Whoever ordered this has no heart, is not a human being. He is a bandit”, he says.

The destruction is not an operation of the federal government, but a determination of the Judiciary, in an action to repossess land belonging to Codevasf, a public company linked to the Ministry of Integration of Regional Development. The area had been occupied by the MST (Landless Rural Workers Movement) in 2012.

In contact with the report, Codevasf stated that “the areas that at the time were subject to reintegration are intended for the regular operation of irrigated agriculture enterprises and the legal reserve”.

The report also contacted the MST, but there was no response until the publication of this text.

Misleading, for Comprova, is content removed from the original context and used in another so that its meaning undergoes changes; that uses inaccurate data or that induces an interpretation different from the author’s intention; content that is confusing, with or without the deliberate intent to cause harm.

Reach

Comprova investigates suspicious content with greater reach on social networks. On Telegram, it had been viewed at least 3,200 times as of June 16.

How do we check

The first step was to search on Google for some expressions mentioned by the man who appears in the video, such as “settlement Abril Vermelho” and “Codevasf”. The research resulted in reports about the repossession action and a video published at the time by Mídia Ninja.

From then on, the team contacted Codevasf and the MST.

The video

The video was recorded at the end of 2019, at the MST Abril Vermelho camp, in Juazeiro, Bahia.

According to an article published at the time by the G1 portal, a repossession of lands occupied by the movement in the cities of Juazeiro and Casa Nova, in the north of Bahia, took place on November 25th. They were owned by Codevasf. The warrants were fulfilled by the Federal Police. Issued by the Federal Court of Juazeiro, the decision also ordered the National Institute of Colonization and Agrarian Reform (Incra) to settle people who illegally occupied the area.

According to the MST, around 700 families lived in the unoccupied area of ​​approximately 1,700 hectares. Known as the Irani I, Irani II and Abril Vermelho camps, the Codevasf lands were occupied by the movement in 2012, when the company, according to the PF, had already decided to allocate the space to irrigation projects.

The MST stated, at the time, in a statement, that the lands had been occupied since 2007, through an agreement between the federal and state governments, Incra, the Agrarian Ombudsman, Codevasf and the Public Ministry.

What the person responsible for the publication says

The Selva Brasil profile, which has already disseminated disinformation on other occasions, as verified by Comprova, did not respond to the report’s attempt to contact it.

What can we learn from this check

It is a common tactic for misinformers to take real content out of context, as in this case. The video is true, but, being published in 2023, without the information that it is old, it implies that it is current. So, it’s important to always seek information from other sources when you come across posts like this. In this case, a quick search for some expressions mentioned by the man who appears in the recording, such as Codevasf and Abril Vermelho, would be enough to know that the case did not occur now.

why do we investigate

Comprova monitors suspicious content published on social networks and messaging apps about public policies and elections at the federal level and opens investigations for those publications that have achieved greater reach and engagement. You can also suggest checks via WhatsApp +55 11 97045-4984. Suggestions and questions related to questionable content can also be sent to Sheet via WhatsApp 11 99486-0293.

Other checks on the topic

The same content was checked by Aos Fatos and Boatos.org. Comprova has already verified other misleading posts involving President Lula. Recently, it showed that he was not harassed when visiting the automotive center in Goiana or within the Bahia Farm Show.

The investigation of this content was carried out by Folha and Grupo Sinos and published on June 16 by Projeto Comprova, a coalition that brings together 41 vehicles to check viral content. It was verified by UOL, Estadão and Plural Curitiba.