I have decided to get creative during the time of our partial lockdown. I have limited myself to one hour of news a day, my sunny disposition can’t handle more.
Besides working, cleaning and cooking, I have travel a lot -in my mind. I have seen parts of the world I would like to share. Would you like to take a short trip with me?
Shortly before sunset, a number of colorful houses suddenly appear behind a river bend, framed by green, tropical vegetation and the brown waters of the Amazon.
Vila Progresso is the capital of the Bailique archipelago, a cluster of eight islands in the Brazilian rainforest located 12 hours from the nearest major population center. It is little more than a labyrinth of rivers and canals and many of the homes are on stilts, as are the sidewalks. Because every April and May, the river spills over its banks.
The natural beauty makes the place seem like a paradise, but life here is hard. There’s no work to be had except for a bit of fishing and the archipelago’s roughly 14,000 inhabitants live hand to mouth. Many of them can neither read nor write and without government welfare, hardly any of them would be able to make ends meet.
The ship’s journey can be complicated, many villages aren’t accessible during low
Consequently, traveling to the nearest court in Macapa is out of the question for most. Which is why, for the last 25 years, the court has been coming to them. Via steamboat.
The Joao Bruno II usually transports people and goods back and forth between the provincial capital of Macapa and the small villages in the Amazon delta. But every two months, the ship transforms into a floating courtroom, bringing the rule of law to even the most far-flung corners of Brazil, where there are no state institutions.
Traveling alongside Assis are around 50 staff members of the Amapa court. There are public defenders, criminal prosecutors, court clerks, judicial officers, social workers, and police officers. Last year, they came by twice as often, but under President Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s judiciary has had to cut costs. The right-wing extremist politician isn’t a big fan of elaborate court proceedings: He would rather fight crime with violence.
Judge Jose Luciano Assis
Word of the court ship’s arrival spreads quickly and people rush to the pier to greet the justice officials and obtain an appointment for a hearing. Some people come in paddle boats and motorized canoes, which they tie directly to the ship before climbing onboard over the railing. For three days, the ship will be abuzz with people making complaints, demanding alimony or simply seeking advice.
Assis, 54, wipes the sweat from his brow. “We bring a little bit of civilization to the forgotten members of Brazilian society,” he says. “For a few days, we provide a connection to the modern world and help the people solve their problems before they resort to vigilante justice.”
Assis lives with his wife and daughter in a luxurious rambler with a pool on the outskirts of Macapa. He has an official car with a chauffeur, loves Italian food and appreciates a good red wine. “It’s important to get away from the daily office routine now and then,” Assis says. “Here I am confronted with real life.”
The other judicial officers come along on the expeditions to the Amazon delta on a voluntary basis and receive no extra compensation. For six nights, they sleep shoulder-to-shoulder in hammocks.
Assis sets up in an adjoining room without a door. He’s brought a fan with him to combat the heat and is wearing a T-shirt, Bermuda shorts and plastic sandals. “We work under the simplest field conditions,” he says. “We don’t even have an internet connection, and there are frequent power outages.”
Assis has led more than a dozen judiciary expeditions to the Bailique archipelago and has gained a deep insight into the lives of the region’s inhabitants. Nature pushes the people to their limits and for many, life is a daily struggle for survival. “Here, you can’t adjudicate according to the standards of an urban elite,” Assis says.
Most legal violations in Bailique involve disputes between neighbors, violence within families or custody battles. Many men also refuse to pay alimony. “If you don’t pay alimony, I’ll have to put you in jail. Do you want that?” the judge asks Edi Monteiro dos Santos. The fisherman owes his ex-wife, with whom he has three children, around 2,000 Brazilian real (427 euros), a fortune for someone living in the archipelago.
Dos Santos has no money. He now lives with a new wife with whom he also has three children and he squirms in his chair. But Assis remains firm and grows angry. “How is your wife supposed to feed the boys on her own?” he asks. “You should have thought about that before you had more children.”
The fisherman gives the judge a confused look. Here in Bailique, people have lots of children, often with two or three different partners. It’s the fear of prison that finally makes dos Santos give in. He could pay off his debt in installments, dos Santos suggests.
The judge hesitates, then agrees. But he warns dos Santos: “If you don’t abide by this agreement, I’ll have to hand you over to Jesus here the next time we come back.” The policeman Alzino de Jesus da Silva is standing next to him. A set of handcuffs and a pistol dangle from his belt.
Assis likes quick decisions. Some of the cases he hears along the Amazon would take months if they were in the city. But here, he often needs only a few hours. “You can’t wait until the next trip with every little thing. That would only increase the tension,” Assis says. “We do everything in our power to reach a swift conclusion and uphold the social peace.”
Of course, there are also serious crimes like manslaughter, child abuse or rape “where we must come down hard,” the judge explains. In cases like that, the remoteness of the archipelago is a big disadvantage as there is neither a forensic department nor DNA experts in Bailique. It’s often one person’s word against another’s.
For 10 hours each day, the court hears the complaints of the residents of the archipelago.
In just six days, there are 300 appointments. “The ship of justice has brought some hope and security to the people of the delta,” Assis says. “We should go to more places, but unfortunately there’s not enough money. Brazil is in crisis.” After a short pause, he adds: “President Bolsonaro is saving money in the wrong places.”
This piece is part of the Global Societies series. The project runs for three years and is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
I will try. I just ordered 60 more 10 mg pills of prednisone from India, because I can’t just stop, but have to taper down. After that, no more!~ Promised!
Really interesting. Thanks for sharing this.
I am glad you liked it.
Good for him. I’m glad he has some support and is able to try to help.
It’s always fascinating to see how good we all live. We don’t really have a reason to complain, yet we do it anyway.
You betcha
It is difficult to focus to much n the news during these difficult days. I can only hear so much myself.
Please, take good care of yourself. Be safe.
I will try. I just ordered 60 more 10 mg pills of prednisone from India, because I can’t just stop, but have to taper down. After that, no more!~ Promised!
Staying safe and I hope you do to,