Indigenous people under attack: Violence against indigenous people on the rise during November

While the world turned his eyes to the COP26, the indigenous people of Brazil continued to suffer from a wave of violence. Those cases involved the denial of health care, activists who suffered home invasions, and even political arrests. We’ve compiled some of them here:

Dario Kopenawa, vice president of the Hutukara Yanomami Association, denounced the government’s omission in the face of advancing illegal gold mining in the Yanomami territory in Roraima, while indigenous suffer from a grave health crisis.

On the 17th, a three year old yanomami child died due to lack of appropriate health care.

Furthermore, it was reported that Funai, Brazilian indigenous organ, prohibited researchers from FioCruz from carrying out a study on the impact of illegal mining in Yanomami territory.

After participating in the COP26, activists Alessandra Munduruku and Txaí Suruí were the target of political attacks. Mundukuru had her home invaded in Santarém, in the southwest of Pará state, and Txaí, the only indigenous woman to speak at the opening of the event, denounced on social networks that she was targeted by racist and hate messages.

In Maranhão state, 16 indigenous people of the Akroá Gamella people were arrested after protests against the construction of transmission lines by the company Equatorial Energia in the Taquaritiua Indigenous Land.

In Rio Grande do Sul state, after threats, the Pindó Mirim community in the Itapuã Indigenous Land had its prayer house destroyed in a criminal fire, denounced Mbya Guarani leaders.

Sources