“Governor André Puccinelli will protocol in the Ministry of Justice this afternoon his request for suspension of the demarcation process of indigenous lands in his state, Mato Grosso do Sul.” Thus commented minister Tarso Genro after a meeting about the demarcation issue in Brasilia.

 

At the occasion of the week of the indigenous peoples

Campo Grande (MS), April 2009

 

The action of the governor is surprising, considering that the land demarcation is granted by the federal constitution of Brazil. One thing would be to not like the results of the proposed land demarcation, and fight them, even by court. Another thing is to completely oppose a constitutional plight, denying this right to a considerable part of the population. The Guarani Kaiowá count between thirty and forty thousand persons.

 

Removal of indigenous

However, it does not surprise. The governor of Mato Grosso do Sul has always prided himself in his fidelity to the mighty agricultural sector in his state and highlighted the sponsorship of the sector of the regional political and economic elite. If it is up to Puccinelli, himself descendent from Italian immigrants, no more indigenous land will be demarcated in his state. He even proposed to remove the Kaiowá Guarani population to other regions of the state and even of the country.

 

Photo: Removal of a Guarani Kaiowá community of an area they claim, called Ñanderu Marangatú (Egon Heck) 

 

Sugar prevails over indigenous

Meanwhile, there have been innumerable hearings in Brasilia, with Lula, the president of the Republic, ministers and organs involved with the indigenous question. When there is a choice between securing the construction of 50 alcohol and sugar cane plants for national and international investors and recognizing the traditional indigenous lands (tekohá) of the Guarani Kaiowá, there is no doubt. Start building! Between the options of politically distributing basic food baskets to 15 thousand indigenous families, or guaranteeing them their land to enable them to produce their own food, there is no question of the first option being chosen.

 

Justice

Interestingly, André Pucinelle has always upheld that he was elected to govern for everyone and not just to guarantee accumulation and privileges of a minority. Even now, during his crusade for the development of agribusiness and the implantation of alcohol factories. But history takes many turns and justice – human or divine – can only be delayed. Eventually it will prevail. All the genocides and negation of the elementary human rights, history collects. The Kaiowá Guarani will not forget their inhumanity, of yesterday or of today.

 

Agility

It is never too much to remember that since 1988 Brazil has a Constitution, which determines that by 1993 all the indigenous lands were to have been demarcated. More than 20 years that have passed. Nothing would be more logical and rational than to read as a headline in the Mato Grosso media “Governor goes to Brasilia to assure agility in identification and regularization of the indigenous lands”. But no. This governor does the exact opposite.

Who is responsible for the hundreds of Kaiowá Guarani deaths over the past 20 years? A process that continues with 43 murders in 2008 alone and more than 300 just since the beginning of the 21^st century?

Perhaps it is easier to govern against indigenous rights than contrary to the interests of the elites of agribusiness.

 

Egon Heck

Cimi- MS

At the occasion of the Campo Grande, week of the indigenous peoples 2009

 

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