Presidente Fundação Nacional do Índio

Mércio PereiraGomes

SRTVS Quadra 702/902, Bloco “A” – Edifício Lex, 3º

Andar

CEP 70340-904 – Brasília/DF

Brasil

Fax: 0055 (61) 3226-8782

 

 

Mr. Márcio Thomaz Bastos

Minister of Justice

Esplanada dos Ministérios, Bloco T,

Ministério daJustiça, 4º. Andar

CEP 70064.900- Brasília- DF

Brasil

Fax +55 61 3224 4784

 

 

Campo Grande-SR/MS.

Superintendente DPF Mario José de Oliveira Santos

Endereço: Rua Fernando Luiz Fernandes, nº 322 –

Vila Sobrinho

CEP: 79.110-500

Brasil

Fax: 0055-(67) 3361-1181 / 311-7089

 

Sample letter:

 

(Date)

 

Dear            ,

 

With great dismay I learned about a tragic incident, during which on the 9th of January 2007 farmers and gunmen attacked a group of Kaiowá Guarani families and killed 70 years old Kuretê Lopes with a shot in her chest. The Kaiowá Guarani, who basically lack the safety of demarcated territories big enough to guarantee for their survival, had returned to their tekoha, traditional land, of Curusu Ambá, on the division of the cities of Amambai and Coronel Sapucaia, state of Mato Grosso do Sul.

 

The Indian woman was killed, when the families were violently put in a truck and a bus to be driven away from the land they were on. This happened in the morning, when also another indigenous man, Valdecir Ximenez, was wounded. The suspicion is that gunmen contracted by farmers have fired the shots. During the day four Indians had been put to prison when they tried to go to the indigenous land Tacuapery to ask for help of their relatives.

 

This brutality confirms once more the violence and the hatred against the indigenous people who search their piece of land to survive. Private security services are contracted by farmers who can act in complete impunity. All this is aggravated by the slowness of the Federal Government in demarcating and guaranteeing indigenous lands as determined in the Brazilian Constitution.

 

We are aware of the fact that according to the findings of CIMI, Missionary Council for Indigenous peoples violence against and murders of the indigenous population continue in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul in particular. In 2006 20 of the 40 indigenous peoples killed in Brazil were in Mato Grosso do Sul.

 

We therefore ask you to do everything in your power to clear up this crime, to make all facts public and to bring those responsible to justice. Please keep us informed about your efforts.

 

Respectfully,

(signature)