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In May 2025, the government of Rondônia unveiled the "Rural Security Program," allocating 360 military police officers and 30 vehicles to patrol rural areas in municipalities such as Alto Paraíso, Machadinho D’Oeste, Ariquemes, and Jaru. This initiative, spearheaded by Governor Marcos Rocha from the Liberal Party, positions the Military Police as a protective force for large landowners, receiving explicit backing from the Association of Soy Producers of Rondônia (Aprosoja). Approximately 10,000 rural properties have already registered, enabling farmers to submit georeferencing data to facilitate tailored patrols.
Coordinated by the State Secretariat for Defense and Citizenship (Sesdec), the program integrates all 11 PM battalions and employs technology to streamline communication between law enforcement and landowners. Secretary Felipe Bernardo Vital stated, “We are connecting rural producers to public security policies through modern tools and a preventive approach.” Aprosoja, associated with bolsonarismo, was present at the launch, with its logo displayed on identification signs alongside the PM and Sesdec symbols.
This initiative emphasizes the alignment of state apparatus with the interests of large landowners, a pattern observed in other states. In Tocantins, in 2021, farmers from Gleba Tauá reported violations perpetrated by the Rural Patrol, according to the portal De Olho nos Ruralistas.
In Goiás, the rural battalion receives support from landowner unions and the Agriculture and Livestock Federation. Meanwhile, in Maranhão, the Legislative Assembly approved rural patrolling in 2019 despite claims from attorney Sérgio Barros of Fetaema that the PM intimidates rural workers at the behest of landowners.
Rondônia is at the forefront of agrarian conflicts in Brazil, as documented in the 2021 report by the Pastoral Land Commission (CPT), which recorded 11 violent deaths in rural areas, many linked to paramilitary groups like one led by large landowner Antônio Martins dos Santos, known as “Galo Velho.” In Machadinho D’Oeste, where the program is being implemented, farmers from the Gedeon José Duque camp reported attacks by gunmen and the PM to the outlet A Nova Democracia.
According to CPT data, between 2019 and 2024, Rondônia saw 1,245 land conflicts resulting in 45 deaths. Violence in rural areas surged by 20% during this period, as reported by the Rural Violence Observatory.
The "Rural Security Program" effectively institutionalizes the state’s role in safeguarding the profits of agribusiness, while rural workers confront evictions and killings. In light of this escalating repression, rural workers have the right to form armed militias for self-defense, ensuring their safety and their fight for land against the violence orchestrated by large landowners and the state.
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