Yesterday, October 15, approximately 50 leaders of the indigenous peoples who live in Pernambuco denounced, to representatives of the Federal and State Government, the threats, the assassinations and the persecution practiced by public and private agents against the Indians in that state. The governments promised joint actions to stop the violence against the indigenous peoples.

 

The hearing occurred in the Legislative Assembly of Pernambuco and was conducted by the deputy Izaltino Nascimento (PT-PE) together with the Articulation of the Indigenous Peoples of the Northeast, Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo (APOINME).

 

Throughout the morning, the indigenous peoples related the principal cases of violence against the peoples. Lourdes Truká told of the recent history of aggressions against her people. She recalled the recent assassination of Mozeni Truká (August 2008), then a candidate for councilman in Cabrobó. According to the Truká, the police had investigated only the assassination, without searching for the relationship of this case with other episodes of violence. She also reminded that the police that participated in the murder of Dena Truká and her son still work in Cabrobó, which intimidates the Truká.

 

The cacique Dorinha Pankará and the leader of the Atikum people told of threats received from public agents of the city of Carnaubeira da Pena. The cacique Marcus Xukuru told of violence against his people since the beginning of the decade of 1990s. He reminded about the assassinations of Chicão Xukuru, of Chico Quelé and his son, among others. He emphasized that the investigations of many of the crimes incriminated the leaders of the peoples like Zé de Santa, Zenilda, Aguinaldo, and he himself. The cacique recalled that after the attack suffered in 2006, he passed from being victim to being an accused. Now he and another 35 persons from their people are responding to the processes in court. Seven months ago, two Xukuru, Renildo and Edmilson, were arrested, accused of participating in the murder of the son of Chico Quelé in 2007.

 

“When only the adversaries persecute us it is difficult, but now, we feel persecuted by the Justice [system]”, commented Zé de Santa, of the Xukuru people, coordinator of the APOINME. The State Counsel of Human Rights prepared a dossier on the criminalization and the threats against the indigenous peoples in Pernambuco, which was sent to the president of the National Indian Foundation (FUNAI), Marcio Meira, present at the hearing. Besides Meira, participating in the hearing were Fernando Matos, national coordinator of the Program for Protection and Defense of Human Rights of the Special Secretary of Human Rights.

 

At the close of the afternoon, the governor of Pernambuco, Eduardo Campos, received the participants of the hearing. He promised to adopt measures to protect the indigenous peoples, with the inclusion of leaders in the protection program for defense of human rights and incentive to incorporation of indigenous peoples as police. Campos also reminded that most of the conflicts exist due to land questions. As a function of this, the president of FUNAI promised to make a survey of all the indigenous areas of Pernambuco and, together with the governor, work for the regularizations of the lands.

 

Brasília, 16 October of 2008

CIMI –Indigenist Missionary Counsel