On Tuesday a Guarani-Kaiowá community of Mato Grosso do Sul, suffered another attack that resulted in the death of indigenous health agent, Cloudine Souza, 26, and left at least six wounded, including a child of 12 years. According to preliminary information, a group of armed farmers attacked Teyi Jusu-Caarapó community, which had reoccupied their traditional territory, Toro Passo, last Sunday. This territory was identified by FUNAI in May as Indigenous land, but has not been officially demarcated.

“The Brazilian government’s failure to fulfill its constitutional obligation of demarcation of indigenous lands has resulted in this tragedy. Amnesty International demands that the attack be investigated and those responsible punished. It is more than urgent that the Indigenous people have a definitive and guaranteed right to their land,” said Fatima Mello, advisor to Amnesty International Brazil.

“The lack of demarcation of Indigenous lands, the impunity for numerous killings of Indigenous leaders in the last 10 years and the free activity of farmers’ armed militias have claimed another victim in this cruel reality. The Brazilian government must ensure that the killers are held accountable and punished in accordance with Brazilian and international laws applying to such atrocities. The Brazilian and international society can no longer tolerate these cowardly and selective killings,” argues Flavio Machado, former coordinator and missionary at the Indigenist Missionary Council of Mato Grosso do Sul (CIMI-MS).

According to local information, the Indigenous Peoples are still living under constant threat. Last Sunday, Indigenous leaders denounced a series of rights violations and the possibility of a massacre if authorities in the region, which was surrounded by farmers, did not intervene.

 Eviction imminent

The Apika’y, another Guarani-Kaiowá community also located in Mato Grosso do Sul, may be evicted at any time. Damiana, the community’s leader, was notified that, after the state’s refusal to send the Military Police to carry out the forced eviction, a judge issued an order requesting the Minister of Justice to provide the support of the Federal Armed Forces to remove the Indigenous People.

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