News-Letter  Nr. 417

Guarani-Kaiowá People continues to reconquer traditional territories

The Guarani-Kaiowá community of the Kokué Tekoha (traditional territory) or "Mosquiteiro" area are once again occupying their traditional territory. On June 19, about 200 indigenous people camped in two properties in a locality known as "Mosquiteiro" in the municipality of Ponta Porã, state of Mato Grosso do Sul. It is the third attempt of the Kaiowá to return to their traditional territory, from where they were expelled in 1996 and 1998. The situation in the farm is tense, but the indigenous people are adamant.

The community reported that in 1996 two members were killed when they tried to reoccupy the area. The Kaiowá Denilso Luiz da Silva, 19, was shot to death by a farmer known as Roberlei. Other invaders of the land set fire to the house of another Kaiowá, Lídio da Silva, 43, who died as a result of the injuries caused by the fire. In the second attempt, in 1998, the indigenous people were expelled at the request of invaders and removed from the area by Funai itself.

The third attempt was the means the indigenous community resorted to say that their patience is over. Since 1996, the Guarani have been waiting for Funai to resume the demarcation of their land, but nothing has happened so far. They claim a 8,000-hectare area as their own. For several months they had been camping next to the MS 166 highway without any money or food. Early this month, farmers decided not to let them enter their properties to take baths, drink water or get wood. This attitude led them to decide that the time had come for them to reoccupy the land. The farmers announced that they will get together on July 3 at the rural union of Ponta Porã to discuss what they will do about the reoccupation.

Guarani-Kaiowá child dies during attack against Indigenous camp

In June 25, the Guarani-Kaoiwá Edileuso Modesto, aged only 11 months, died during an attack against a camp of the Guyra Roca indigenous community in Porto Cambira, located in the municipality of Caarapó, state of Mato Grosso do Sul. His death certificate indicates that he died of unknown causes, but in a letter to the president of Funai, Glênio Alvarez, the indigenous community reported that the indigenous child fell from his mother's arms, Gilma Modesto, as she ran to try to protect herself from shots fired by gunmen.

The indigenous community has been camping next to a farm owned by state deputy José Teixeira (Liberal Front Party) waiting for Funai to begin to carry out a land survey that could confirm that the farm is located inside their traditional territory. The Guarani tried to bury the child inside the farm, where they say there is an indigenous cemetery, but were prevented from doing so by armed bodyguards of the deputy. The boy was finally buried in the camp, next to the highway.

The Guarani tried to occupy the farm on two occasions, in January and April, but were persuaded by Funai and the South Land Institute (Terrasul) to leave the place with promises to solve the problem and the distribution of basic sets of food products. The Guarani report that every day gunmen at the service of state deputy José Teixeira shoot their guns into the air and against the camp to intimidate them and force them to leave the area. They are always around and have been scaring indigenous communities in the region. The death of the Kaiová child can unleash a conflict between the indigenous people and the gunmen.

Brasília, 29 June 2000.
Indianist Missionary Council - Cimi





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