In yet another attack on the Palimiú Yanomami community, gold poachers dropped tear gas on Sunday night (16), according to indigenous reports.
Located on the banks of the Uraricoera River, the community has suffered almost daily attacks for a week. According to the indigenous people, two Yanomami children, one and five years old, drowned when trying to escape one of the shooting attacks.
“It happened at 9:47 pm. There was a lot of smoke and an explosion. They called me at night, I even heard the shooting, they fired again. There were 15 to 18 boats, said the president of the Yanomami and Ye’kwana Indigenous Health Council, Junior Hekurari Yanomami.
Despite constant attacks and repeated requests from the Yanomami, Palimiú does not have any presence of security forces. The PF was there for a few hours last week and was also shot by encroaching gold miners. Army representatives, however, stayed at the scene for only two hours and withdrew, according to the Yanomami.
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon