News-Letter Nr. 431

Indigeous People are Elected in Various Municipalities

The figures are still partial. It is difficult to collect information because indigenous people are candidates in remote cities and villages in the states, some of which do not have appropriate communication means. According to the information gathered so far, one indigenous mayor was elected on October 1. The victory of the Potiguara Marcos Antonio dos Santos in the municipality of Baía da Traição, state of Paraíba, was expected, but it was a fierce battle. Santos ran for reelection with the PMDB (Brazilian Democratic Movement Party) and won 2,043 votes, defeating for the second consecutive time his adversary Iraci Cassiano Soares (PPB - Brazilian Progressive Party) also a Potiguara , who was trying to be the mayor of her municipality once again. We have been informed that indigenous people have been elected in the states of Amazonas, Rio Grande do Sul, Roraima, Santa Catarina, Acre, Baha, Minas Gerais, Paraíba, Mato Grosso, and Mato Grosso do Sul. In the state of Bahia, the election of Agnaldo Francisco dos Santos (PT - Workers' Party) in Pau Brazil has been described as historical and very important for the fight of the Pataxó Hã-Hã-Hãe against farmers in the region who don't want the bounds of their indigenous territory to be officially confirmed.

Another important election has been registered in Minas Gerais: Maria Diva Maxakali (Social Democracy Party), in Santa Helena de Minas. Diva is the only Maxakali who speaks Portuguese fluently. She has overcome the prejudice of society against her people, who have been humiliated in the cities they must go to regularly and have been led to alcoholism by unscrupulous bar owners. Last year, the community finally managed to remove invaders from their lands and it is now fighting to recover the environment in their territory, which has been degraded by farmers. The Maxakali love and support Maria Diva.

In some cities, the Municipal Councils will have more than one indigenous councilman, such as in Benjamim Costant do Sul, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul; São João das Missäes, in the state of Minas Gerais; Ipuaçu, in the state of Santa Catarina; and Santa Cruz de Cabrália, in the state of Bahia. Indigenous people have also been elected as vice-mayors in many municipalities. A list of candidates and elected indigenous people is being regularly updated at Cimi's website: http://www.cimi.org.br.

Federal Court Suspends Eviction of the Guarani From Araoa`ö

Federal Judge Edgard Lippmann Junior, of the 4th panel of the Federal Regional Court (TRF) of the 4th Region, state of Rio Grande do Sul, decided to issue a supersedeas staying a preliminary order issued by judge Narcizo Xavier Baez, from Chapecó, according to which the Guarani indigenous people were to be evicted from Araça'í, in Saudades, west region of the state of Santa Catarina, by the September 28. In his decision, the judge took into account Interlocutory Appeals and appeals filed by Funai and the Federal Public Prosecution Service with the TRF. According to this decision, the Guarani will be allowed to stay while a Working Group carries out an anthropological survey in the indigenous area, which has been invaded by farmer Carlos Franciasco Zimmer. The 49-hectare area was reoccupied by the Guarani in July. Days after the action, the farmer filed an Action for Repossession. Carlos Zimmer says he bought the land from the corporation Companhia Territorial Sul Brasil, which implemented settlement projects in the region in the 1920s.

The climate in the region is tense. The city hall of Saudades, farmers and businessmen believe that the indigenous people will be evicted from the area. Mayors and farmers in cities close to Saudades who have been following up the case have rejected the action of the indigenous people and have been spreading malicious rumors that the indigenous people are about to "invade" other lands. The Guarani have been struggling to reoccupy an area where evidence has been found of their traditional presence, including indigenous cemeteries. The legal battle continues, but they are intent on resisting.

Brasília, 5 October 2000.
Indianist Missionary Council - CIMI

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