Brazil: Gunmen Shoot at Indigenous Macuxi, injuring 10
So-called armed guards working for one of the rice farmer's currently (illegally) occupying Raposa/Serra do Sol indigenous territory opened fire on a group of Macuxi indigenous People yesterday, injuring At least 10. One of them remains hospitalized in serious condition.
The owner of the farm, Paulo Cesar Quartiero, claims his men were firing in self-defense after the group refused to leave 'his' property. The Earth Times quote him as saying, "They invaded the estate. My men went there to ask them to leave, but they were met with arrows. There was a clash, and some people were injured," Quartiero said.
The Macuxi say otherwise. Representative Joao Ribeiro for one, says the men didn't speak to anyone. They just started shooting as they arrived.
Dionito de Souza, a Macuxi Chief and coordinator of the Roraima Indigenous Council, reaffirmed this in a phone interview, adding that the people were "building houses on land close to the farm" when it happened.
Considering the recent violence by the farmers -- which among other things, included the use of a homemade bomb against one Macuxi leader, and an assault on Nailton Muniz from the Pataxó Hã-Hã-Hãe people -- the latter version is more than likely the truth.
In any event, what we know for certain is that this latest attack would not have happened if the Brazilian Government did it's job.
Last Month, Brazilian Police set out to remove the remaining illegal settlers from Raposa/Serra do Sol indigenous territory (which included Paulo Cesar Quartiero) in compliance with an order signed by the President of Brazil three years ago (something they should have done on the word "go...") That's when the settlers began attacking the region's indigenous people and blocking all entry points to the area. Shortly thereafter, the Brazilian Supreme Court suspended the operation.
UPDATE: Paulo Cesar Quartiero has been arrested. No details have been released as to the charges he faces.
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This is terrible, thanks for reporting it. I can’t believe that Brazil is standing by on this. I understand when it has to do with the oil or gas companies – or big agricultural companies as they have money to pay to keep the gov. silent. But why would they protect and illegal rice farmer?
I hate saying this, but, considering Brazil’s track record it’s probably because he is (and they are) “not indigenous.”
VIRAMUNDO (www.viramundo.org) made a document in support of the indigenous people who fight for assuring the homologation of their land in Raposa Serra do Sol, in the Amazon Region. I hope its context can attract more support for our indigenous brothers.
“VIRAMUNDO joins with other organizations, institutions, social movements, and personalities that fight for peace and social justice in this country in support of the aboriginal people communities Macuxi, Wapixana, Taurepang, Patamona and Infgarikó, that face apphrensive and wounded this moment of aggression against their constitutional rights and the international rules, due to the provisory decision made by the Brazilian Supreme Court suspending the removal of non-indians from their land. Such aggression, utterly proven for the images that run the world showing masked gunmen shooting against the indians in the Renascer community, deserves the highest repudiation of all people who understand that human rights should be real.
Accordingly, we join with those who await the Supreme makes an endorsement of homologation decree of the aboriginal land “TERRA INDIGENA RAPOSA SERRA DO SOL”, thus applying justice to whom justice is due: the First Nations.
When I met for real the Tslail-Waututh’s shaman Leonard George in Canada, I heard from him: “A time has come now in our age and area where we have to stop racism and discrimination. We have to open up new doors and treat each other with respect”. An indigenous’ face, he added, really has a nationality and it is the human being he or she keeps inside.
Flavio Wittlin, MD
director-president
http://capoeiranj.com/blogs/cipo/archive/2009/01/05/brasil-natives-threatened-and-killed-again.aspx
The history of this planet shows us in many ways that we must preserve our indigenous cultures at all costs. We must learn from history, do we need more dust bowls,
medicines lost to deforestation and wise old leaders, warriors,shamans and regular folks killed by bullies and greedy businessmen.