The Federal Police investigation into the crime of genocide committed against the Yanomami people, determined by the Justice and Public Security Minister Flávio Dino, will focus on investigating the responsibilities of prospectors, mining logistics operators, health coordinators for the indigenous people, and political agents.
The investigation was opened and should be conducted by police officers who work in the Federal Police superintendence in Roraima, where most of the indigenous land is located and where illegal mining mobilizes thousands of invaders in the traditional territory.
The initial understanding of the police is those gold prospectors –both those who are exploring for gold directly in the indigenous land and those who own machinery and aircraft for criminal practice– will be investigated and eventually held accountable in the genocide inquiry.
In Brazil, Law 2,889/1956 defines genocide as acting with the intention of destroying, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. The penalty can reach 30 years in prison.
The investigation should target officials in leadership positions in the area of indigenous health for the Yanomami, linked to the Ministry of Health during the Jair Bolsonaro (PL) government, due to the shortage of basic medicines for the indigenous people, such as vermifuge. An investigation is already looking into suspicions of fraud and corruption in the supply of these drugs.
The investigation should also include political agents of the Bolsonaro administration associated with the ongoing health crisis, with an explosion in cases of malaria, malnutrition of children and the elderly, and preventable diseases associated with malnutrition.
Translated by Cassy Dias