Brazilian Natives being killed
November 4th, 2009
A Brazilian organization reports that Guarani Kaiowá teachers who were missing have now been found dead in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul.
Citizens of the indigenous comunity Po´i Kuê reported that on November 4, the bodies of the missing teachers were found. Olindo Verá and Genivaldo Verá disappeared on October 30 when a group of armed men attacked the community. The community is near the city of Paranhos, in Mato Grosso do Sul.
The two teachers were part of 25 indigenous people who had returned to their ancestral land on October 29. The following day, a group of armed men came by truck and began shooting at the community, harassing them and trying to force them out of the area.
This area is one of the 26 indigenous lands in Mato Grosso do Sul that are supposed to be studied by the Federal Authority of Indigenous Affairs, FUNAI, in order to be demarcated for natives. The task force for this study had been installed in June 2008 already, but political pressure in combination with threats and physical harassment by armed men made their work impossible.
This attack is the latest in a series of violent events reported from Mato Grosso do Sul. One week ago, indigenous Terrena people tried to occupy a part of their traditional land in the municipality of Sidrolândia and were expelled by force and several were injured.
In the beginning of October, a Guarani kaiowá community was evicted from lands they had reoccupied two years ago, and which should have been studied and demarcated by the Funai by court order. Though the area is still to be demarcated, armed guards of the ranch set fire to the village, destroying the housing material and belongings that the community had not managed to move yet.
This report comes from: Paul Wolters / Marcy Picanço Cimi – Assessoria de Comunicação
(61) 2106 1650/ 9979 7059 www.cimi.org.br
