Uprise of Violence on Yanomami Land Pressures Ministry of Defense

Sectors demand more support for security actions in the region; government plans to propose a measure that alows Brazilian Air Force to shoot down illegal aircrafts

Brasília

The recent escalation of violence in the Yanomami Indigenous territory has led sectors of the federal government to get mobilized to demand more support from the Ministry of Defense in disintrusion operations, that is, the removal of people who do not originate from the territory.

At the end of the week, miners shot an indigenous person dead and clashed with inspection teams — from the PRF (Federal Highway Police) and Ibama (environmental agency), resulting in four deaths. Another eight bodies were found in a mining area, as revealed by Folha. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) mobilized ministers to fight back the situation.

A handout picture released by the Urihi Yanomami Association shows health workers and indigenous people carrying a Yanomami indigenous man wounded by gold miners upon arrival at the Surucucu Airfield, on Yanomami Indigenous land, municipality of Alto Alegre, state of Roraima, Brazil, on April 29, 2023. (Photo by Antonio ALVARADO / Urihi Yanomami Association / AFP) - AFP

Meetings were held with the presence of names such as Marina Silva (Environment), José Múcio (Defense), Sonia Guajajara (Indigenous Peoples), Rui Costa (Chief of Staff) and Flávio Dino (Justice).

This Wednesday (3), a new round of talks took place at the Planalto. In it, the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples presented a proposal for a draft decree to allow the FAB (Brazilian Air Force) to shoot down illegal aircraft that are flying over the Yanomami Indigenous Land.

Translated by Cassy Dias

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