News-Letter Nr. 446

Indigenous Peoples Protest Against Outsourcing Of Indigenous Health Care Services

More than 200 representatives of indigenous peoples of the states of Alagoas and Sergipe occupied the building of the National Health Foundation (Funasa) in Maceió, capital of the state of Alagoas, this week to denounce irregularities caused by an official decision to outsource and municipalize indigenous health care services. The movement began this Tuesday with the occupation of the building by the Karapotó and Kariri-Xocó to protest against the dismissal, by the city hall of São Sebastião, of health agents who had been trained to provide health assistance to their communities. The indigenous people said that the dismissals were because of political meddling in the system. They reported the embezzlement of funds and of medical and odontological equipment that had been bought with funds earmarked for indigenous health care services. They don't want the indigenous health care system to be municipalized and outsourced. Other peoples joined the protest. Caravans of representatives of the Xukuru-Kariri, Wassu-Cocal, Geripankó, Kalankó, Karuazu, Tingui-Botó, from Alagoas, and of the Xokó, from Sergipe, arrived in Maceió last Wednesday and Thursday.

Agamenon Geripankó, who visited various indigenous communities to hear what they had to say about the issue, said that "the policy of outsourcing indigenous health care services adopted by Funasa has municipalized the system. The city halls hire and dismiss people based on political criteria, disregarding the guidelines issued by the District Health Councils, which are supposed to control the system so as to make sure social requirements are duly met. Most non-indigenous health agents being hired are friends and relatives of the local mayor." Still according to Agamenon, "the funds allocated to indigenous health care services are being directly transferred to city halls through irregular 'agreements' and the mayors have been using the money for other purposes."

In the municipality of Pariconha, the mayor wants to renovate the city's health stations. A dentist's office for indigenous communities was set up in a municipal health station that is located at a distance of 6 km from their villages, which they had to cover on foot.

Outraged, the Geripankó closed it down by force and took it to their village. Health stations were also set up in other municipalities at large distances from indigenous villages, despite the protests of the Xukuru-Kariri, Kariri-Xocó and Karapotó. "The original purpose has been lost. The federal administration must account for this," said the CIMI deputy secretary, Roberto Antônio Liebgott. Representatives of the federal public prosecution service of Alagoas held a meeting with indigenous leaders and are expected to propose actions to check the accusations and punish the guilty ones.

Like in the states of Alagoas and Sergipe, the indigenous health care policy adopted by the federal administration has displeased many people in different parts of Brazil. Indigenous people complain about the lack of professionals and the insufficient training provided to non-indigenous health agents. The professionals being hired do not have the appropriate background in anthropology and history and this has led to a cultural clash. The federal administration launched the Health Program for Indigenous Families (PSFI) based on the model of a similar health program designed for non-indigenous families. The home visits anticipated in the Program, however, are seldom or never paid, a fact that reveals the shortcomings of the model.

At the 3rd National Indigenous Health Conference scheduled for May 14-18 in Brasília, indigenous peoples will have an opportunity to evaluate and criticize the system and propose alternatives to improve the health care provided to indigenous communities, rejecting the neo-liberal model proposed by the Brazilian State.

Indigenous People In The State of Roraima Were Not Heard About The Establishment Of An Army Platoon Within Its Bounds

Leaders of the Macuxi, Taurepang, Pantamona and Ingarikó indigenous peoples sent a letter to the federal public prosecution service, to the ministry of Justice, to the president of the Republic, and to the president of Funai expressing their disapproval of the location where the 6th Special Border Platoon (PEF) is being established. On January 3, judge Hélder Girão of the 2nd Federal Court of Roraima accepted a request for a restraining order in favor of the indigenous communities requesting that the establishment of the 6th PEF be suspended. This letter should have also been delivered to the Army Command and to judge Cloves Siqueira at a meeting held on January 26, but they failed to attend it despite having been invited. The meeting was attended by local Funai managers, CIMI representatives, and the general solicitor in Roraima, Felipe Bretanha.

In the document, the indigenous people say that although Administrative Ruling n. 820/98 reduced the size of the Raposa/Serra do Sol indigenous area for the 6th PEF to be established, the location where it would be established was not discussed with indigenous communities. The Army Command began to build a post for the platoon at a distance of less than 200 meters from the Uiramutã community. For the indigenous people of Roraima, the influence of the platoon will be negative. "Building a fort in that location will lead to the extermination of the Uiramutã community," they say.

The indigenous people recalled that the relations between the Army and indigenous populations in the state of Roraima have been marked by violence and they fear that the violence will escalate. They believe that the proximity of the army post will lead to an increase in the rate of prostitution, sexually transmitted diseases, and alcoholism. They recalled episodes involving Yanomami women who were sexually abused by soldiers of the 4th PEF located in Surucucus, in the same state, and other similar reports involving indigenous women and soldiers of the São Gabriel da Cachoeira Platoon in the state of Amazonas.

In order to avoid an escalation of violence, the indigenous people are claming the right to take part in the discussions to chose the location for the Platoon to be established, otherwise they will not allow the post to be built. This position will be discussed at the 20th Assembly of the Tuxaua of Roraima that will be held on February 5-8 in the Pium village, 80 km from the capital of Roraima, Boa Vista.

Brasília, 1 February 2001.
Indianist Missionary Council - Cimi





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