The families who suffered a violent forced eviction in August from the Olga Benario settlement in the south of Sao Paulo, have won a major victory in their long fight for housing rights.
Under local and international pressure, Sao Paulo state authorities have agreed to repossess the land from which they were evicted, along with an adjacent lot in Capao Redondo. The land will be used for the construction of social housing for the evicted families. The council has guaranteed emergency measures, such as rent assistance, while the construction takes place. Local NGOs have stated that the state government’s radical change of tack was related in part to international pressure generated by Amnesty International’s urgent action campaign.