6. On January 21, 2002, the petitioners requested a hearing to examine the interpretation and scope of the right to property, as it relates to the requests made in Petition No. 555/2001. 7. On December 14, 2004, the petitioners information related to the petition under review. 8. furnished additional On July 14, 2005, the State submitted observations on the petitioners’ reply. 9. On August 30, 2006, the Commission requested the petitioners and the State, to submit information about specific points. 10. On September 19, 2006, the petitioners asked the Commission for a 15-day extension to submit the information that was requested of them, as did the State on September 22, 2006. On that same date the concession of this extension was communicated to the State and the petitioners were notified. On September 29, 2006 the concession of the extension to the petitioners was communicated and the State was notified. 11. On October 15, 2006, the petitioners submitted the information that was requested to them, and the State did the same on the 18 th of the same month and year. III. POSITION OF THE PARTIES A. The petitioners 12. The petitioners allege that the Brazilian State is in violation of the provisions of the American Convention by virtue of its failure to fulfill its obligation to respect and ensure the rights protected under the Convention (Article 1.1), and by its violation of the right to a fair trial (Article 8), the right to freedom of association (Article 16), the rights of the family (Article 17), the right to property (Article 21), the right to freedom of movement and residence (Article 22), the right to judicial protection (Article 25.1), and the right to protection of economic, social and cultural rights (Article 26). 13. The petitioners contend that the traditional communities on whose behalf the petition is lodged, is established in the area related to the municipality of Alcântara, distant at 22 kilometers from São Luís (capital of the state of Maranhão), in the northeastern region of Brazil. This municipality is in the midst of a large conservation area, which encompasses the Amazon region. Because of the privileged location of the area, it is considered strategic for aerospace technology research and development. In the petitioner’s opinion, the establishment of the “Alcântara Launch Center” in the region, has taken a serious toll on the society and culture of the traditional communities that lived or live there. 14. The petitioners point out, that “quilombos” are communities composed mainly of the descendents of runaway or freed slaves, which operate on the basis of communal production. They are traditional communities, with their own cultures, dialects, production techniques and internal rules. The petitioners state further that because of the historical and cultural importance of the quilombos, Brazil’s 1988 Constitution recognizes the quilombo communities’ right to their land.[1] 1 1 Constitution of the Federative Republic of Brazil (1988), Article 68 of the Transitory Provisions. The remaining quilombo communities who are still living on their lands are hereby given definitive title to that land; it is the State’s duty to issue to them the respective land titles. 2