Melo, from Engenho Ilha, is one of the defenders criminalized for their opposition to Suape. She got accused of subdividing land and selling plots where she lives. She denies it. The investigation against Melo and other leaders is being conducted by Bureau for Combating Crimes Against the Tax Order - DECCOT. The construction of the Suape Industrial Port Complex, a mega-project covering 13,500 hectares on the south coast of the state of Pernambuco, began in 1978 on lands inhabited for generations by traditional communities. For the municipalities of Ipojuca and Cabo de Santo Agostinho, Suape serves as a port and a business hub, providing infrastructure on large plots for companies interested in expanding on the regional market or increasing their exports.