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The murder of an indigenous guardian in a violent confrontation with loggers has once again shaken the Brazilian Amazon and exposed the delicate situation of the native peoples against the illegal invasions of those who want their wealth.
Paulo Paulino Guajajara , 26, and a member of the so-called 'guardians of the forest' , who protect the Amazon on his own, was shot dead in the face in the attack last night in the Araribóia reserve , in the state of Maranhao , Northeast of Brazil.
Another indigenous leader, identified as Laércio Souza Silva , was injured by a firearm in the arm and back, although his life is not in danger, according to Efe sources from the Indigenous Missionary Council (Cimi) , an agency linked to the Catholic Church . A logger is also missing, according to the Maranhao Secretariat of Human Rights.
Human rights and environmental organizations, such as Greenpeace, demanded that " immediate action be taken to avoid further conflicts and deaths in the region."
The shock occurs at a time of great tension in the Amazon of Brazil, whose territory is home to 60% of the total area of the largest tropical forest on the planet.
According to Cimi, illegal invasions of indigenous lands throughout Brazil have increased by 44% in the first nine months of the year, coinciding with the arrival of Brazilian right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro, who is in favor of the exploitation of the natural resources of The Amazon.
Reconstruction of a "serious crime"
The ambush was against two of the guardians of the Araribóia reserve, approved in 1990, with an area of 413,000 hectares and home to about 6,000 indigenous people of the Awá-Guajá, Guajajara (or Tenetehar) ethnic groups and some Awá isolated voluntarily .
According to Cimi, Paulino Guajajara and Souza Silva left the village 'Lagoa Comprida' to hunt, when they were surprised in the middle of the jungle by five armed loggers, who demanded to surrender and deliver their bows and arrows. It was then that the invaders began firing, causing the death of the first, father of a son.
Souza Silva fled through the foliage, but was shot in the arm and back, although he managed to escape alive and return to the village for help.
Brazilian Justice Minister Sergio Moro said on social networks that the Federal Police "will investigate the murder." "We will not save efforts to bring to justice those responsible for this serious crime," Moro said in a tweet, without offering further details.
For its part, the Government of Maranhao said it "accompanies the situation" and announced the transfer of several teams to the scene of the conflict with the objective of "clarifying the case and protecting those threatened."
Illegal loggers, a constant threat
The indigenous reserves of that state, one of the nine that make up the Brazilian Amazon, have suffered attacks from illegal land buyers ('grileiros') and loggers for years, according to human rights organizations, who also denounce the impunity to persecute This type of crime .
"Indigenous lands have suffered constant invasions over recent years despite complaints made by indigenous people. There are many problems and many indigenous people who are being threatened to defend their territory," says Gilfelan Rodrigues , coordinator of Cimi in Maranhao.
In the surroundings of the village 'Lagoa Comprida' another Indian was killed in 2007, Tomé Guajajara . A year later, a group of loggers invaded another village in the area with shots.
According to a recent Human Rights Watch report with Cimi data, in Maranhao there have been 16 murders since 2015 related to land conflict , of which indigenous leaders estimate that at least eight were reprisals of illegal loggers. None of the cases have ended up in court.
The organization revealed that mafia networks are behind the illegal logging in the Amazon, as well as the violence against the indigenous people and the fires that these criminal groups cause to transform the deforested areas into cattle and farmland.
Invasions fire with Bolsonaro
According to a Cimi study, in the first nine months of the year there have been at least 160 cases of invasions in a total of 153 indigenous lands in 19 states of the country.
That figure is 44% higher compared to the same period of 2018 and exceeds that registered throughout 2018.
The Cimi blames the anti-ecologist rhetoric of Bolsonaro , who promised earlier that during his tenure, which began last January 1, will not be demarcated "not another square centimeter for indigenous lands."
The president is favorable to exploit the mineral resources of the Amazon along with other countries. In September, during his first speech at the UN General Assembly, he said that it is a "fallacy" to say that the Amazon "is a world heritage site."
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