Court suspends eviction of families from the Cajueiro community, in São Luís Disclosure/ DPE The Court of Justice of Maranhão (TJMA) suspended the repossession order that threatened to remove dozens of families from the Cajueiro community, in Vila Maranhão, in São Luís. The decision responds to a request from the Public Defender's Office of the State of Maranhão (DPE/MA), which highlighted the risk of violation of the right to housing and due legal process. 📲 Click here and subscribe to the g1 Maranhão channel on WhatsApp The action was filed by public defender José Augusto Gabina de Oliveira, from the DPE/MA 2nd Instance Center. According to the Public Defender's Office, there was a procedural failure that left the community defenseless in the final phase of the process, which began in 2013. Families have lived in the area for decades and derive their livelihood from the land. In a first decision, the São Luís Agrarian Court won the case for the residents. Later, however, the Fifth Chamber of Private Law of the TJMA accepted an appeal presented by a private company and ordered the community to withdraw. The case became final — when no further appeals are possible — recognized in June 2025. However, the Public Defender's Office argued that the action was null and void because the institution was not officially notified of the court's decision. According to the DPE/MA, the publication of the decision was made only in the name of one of the defendants' lawyers. As a result, dozens of families were left without legal representation in the final stage of the process. When analyzing the Ombudsman's request, Judge Raimundo José Barros de Sousa considered the failure in the process to be serious and pointed out the risk of irreversible social damage. The São Luís Agrarian Court had already scheduled a meeting to organize compliance with the eviction order. According to the decision, the removal of families could leave elderly people, children and teenagers without housing, in addition to compromising plantations used for subsistence. With the decision, the Court suspended the repossession and canceled the acts related to the eviction of the families. The preparatory meeting scheduled by the São Luís Agrarian Court was also cancelled. Residents will be able to remain in the area until the final judgment of the action. The company named in the process must submit a response within the legal deadline. Now on g1