VIOLENCE IN RAPOSA SERRA DO SOL

 

Four days before the commemoration of the homologation of the indigenous land Raposa Serra do Sol, 150 armed men (guns, rifles, machetes and pieces of wood) invaded the Center of Formation and Culture Raposa Serra do Sol, formerly known as Mission Surumu, about 230 kilometers of Boa Vista (state of Roraima, north of Brasil). They put the church, the hospital, the house of the priests and sisters of the congregation Consolata (originally Italian) and the secretary of the school, on fire.

During the invasion, a professor and about 30 pupils were in the Center of Formation. The professor was attacked physically, but does not run any risk of death.

 

Raposa Serra do Sol is an indigenous area where the fight for land has taken more than 30 years. It ended on the 15th of April this year, when President Lula finally homologated the land. This was seen as an important symbol for the ongoing fight for land by indigenous peoples in Brazil.

The landowners in this area were disappointed with this decision. They have great interests in the area, because there are large plantations of rice in this indigenous area. A small group (approximately 10%) of the indigenous people that are living in Raposa Serra do Sol is cooperating with these landowners.

 

This is not the first time that the Surumu Mission was invaded. In January 2004 the Center was also the object of invasions and in the same year also three missionaries had been kidnapped. Until now nobody has been punished for these crimes.

 

Also a vehicle of Funasa, the governmental attention to health issues, was destroyed by the same group. Weapons were pointed at the heads of the drivers of the car, they suffered humiliations, verbal aggressions, and the indigenous patient that was in the car was attacked physically as well.

 

Conselho Indigenista of Roraima (CIR) informed that probably the vandalism was coordinated by the vice-mayor of the city of Pacaraima, Anísio Pedrosa, and by the indigenous leader and councilman of the indigenous place Contão, Genilvaldo Macuxi. Both these persons are allied to Paulo César Quartiero, the mayor of Pacaraima and biggest rice producer in the region.

 

The commemoration of the homologation of Raposa Serra do Sol (starting on this Wednesday) will be going on in spite of the attacks and the tense situation. The federal police is preparing their presence at the event and guarantee the security of the approximately 6000 people that will participate.

 

Click here to see images of the attacks

 

Brasilia, 19^th September 2005

More information on the sites of CIMI, www.cimi.org.br, or CIR, www.cir.org.br