The 5th of May, two gunmen shot and killed a six years old girl of the indigenous Guajajara people in the state of Maranhão, in the northeast of Brazil. They invaded the Anajá village of the indigenous area Araribóia, close to the municipality of Arame, on a motorbike, firing repeatedly at a family gathered in the community center. The girl, M.S., was hit in the head and died instantly.

 

According to the Guajajara, the killers are from the same region and are actually the same who, in the beginning of 2007 murdered Timóteo Guajajara. They would have been threatening the community continuously ever since.

 

Destroyed village

The relationships between the Guajajara and the inhabitants of Arame and other settlements in the region have been very tense for years now. In fact, the region is the stage of most cases of violence against indigenous people in the Maranhão. In 2007 alone, not only five indigenous persons killed in violent confrontations, also the Cururu village was invaded and destroyed by merchants and inhabitants of Arame, burning houses and wounding several Guajajara with gunshots.

 

Prejudice

As a result of the constant tension many indigenous families moved to the interior of the indigenous area in order to get away from the highway that limits the area.

“Their is strong prejudice and hatred against the indigenous, because the city and the settlements are surrounded by indigenous area,” explains Rosimeire Diniz, coordinator in the Maranhão of the Missionary Council on Indigenous matters (CIMI). “Meanwhile, the neighboring settlements are growing because of the illegal logging activities. According to the missionary workers in the area, it is commonplace that persons pass by car or motorbike, shooting at indigenous people.”

 

The Federal Police started investigating the murder. However, the Guajajara people have little confidence that justice will prevail. During the funeral of the girl, various indigenous commented to participating missionary workers of CIMI that “killing Indians over here is like killing a dog: nothing ever happens afterwards.”

 

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Roraima: Farmer arrested for attempt of killing indigenous

 

The 6th of May, the Federal Police arrested in flagrance at his farm in Roraima the leading rice farmer Paulo César Quartiero because of unauthorized storing of explosives, illegal group formation and trying to kill indigenous people at the indigenous area Raposa Serra do Sol. A day earlier (5/5), employees of Quartiero shot at indigenous people and threw home made bombs, leaving 9 persons hurt. The attack was videotaped by the indigenous, who, at the moment of the attack were constructing barracks on a corner of the farm of Quartiero. Besides Quartiero, also his son was arrested, as well as ten employees.

 

The arrest of Quartiero happened during the visit of the area by of the minister of Justice, Tarso Genro, in an attempt to curb the tension in the region. He ordered another 300 policemen to the indigenous area. Ever since the start of the tensions the indigenous have been asking for police protection.

 

Burning bridges

The farm is situated on land that in April 2005 has been recognized by presidential decree as indigenous territory, but Quartiero and five other powerful rice farmers have been refusing to leave the area, in spite of the compensations offered. In March a police force was gathering to evacuate the non-indigenous persons, if necessary with force, which provoked violent protests, including the use of road blocks, the burning of bridges, a bom explosion that actually hurt the very own son of Quartiero and bom threats.

 

In reaction to these protests, the Federal Supreme Court (STF) decided the eviction had to be delayed until a decision was made on a court case that contests the lawfulness of the presidential decree on the area. This Supreme Court intervention gave rise to growing tensions in the region. With the occupation of a part of the contested land the indigenous revindicate the evacuation of the area that was designated as theirs.

 

Precedent

The judgment of the contesting case is expected at the end of May. Should the STF decide in favor of the plaintives, it would open a precedent for all indigenous areas that have been declared over the years. All of them could face similar court cases contesting their lawfulness.