While Jair Bolsonaro expresses doubts as to the murder of an indigenous leader by gold miners, condemned the UN action. Indigenous to see the growing tension in the Amazon as a result of the policy of the President.
A week ago, Emyra Wajapi, a leader of the indigenous Wajapi people had been in the North-West of Brazil, is found murdered. Only now, on Monday, moved the police on the reserve, the Terra Indígena Wajapi in the state of Amapá. Jawaruwa Wajapi, the municipal Council of Pedra Branca do Amapari, was escorted by the police forces on the search for the intruders to have murdered Emyra Wajapi. Members of the Wajapi people had found traces of the illegal gold prospectors in the protected area, the guilty point, and the authorities notified.
“All the families of the Wajapi have now scared to leave the house, whether for Hunting, fishing, or for other reasons,” explains Jawaruwa the DW in Aramira, one of the 49 settlements of the indigenous territory. “The invaders are hiding on our Land.”
“The invaders are still here”: Jawaruwa Wajapi
Jawaruwa has contributed to the global coverage of the assassination of Emyra. “He led the historic struggle for the demarcation and protection of indigenous territory,” writes Jawaruwa about Emyra. “With him, our people have lost a lot of Knowledge and experience.”
“A disturbing Symptom”
The murder sparked international reactions. Michelle Bachelet, the high Commissioner for human rights of the United Nations, referred to the murder as a “worrying Symptom of the growing problem of invasions on indigenous lands, especially in the jungle by gold diggers, woodcutters and small farmers in Brazil.”
Bachelet called for a swift and effective investigation. “I call on the Brazilian government to rethink its policy on indigenous peoples and their territories, so that Emrya Wajapis death will usher in a further wave of violence, the peoples from their tribal land, and the further destruction of the rainforest will allow,” she said.
A rapid explanation: Michelle Bachelet, human rights Commissioner of the United Nations
The Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro doubt, however, in the murder of Emyra Wajãpi. “There is no strong evidence to suggest that this Indian was murdered there. I’m going to try this case to educate and show the truth about the da,” he announced on Monday.
In the interest of the company
In a statement to reporters, he repeated his desire to legalise the search for Gold in small-scale mining: “This would also apply to Indians. You have the right to mine on their possession of Gold, because the indigenous territory is almost like your country is owned.”
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Brazil’s President wants to be the Amazon are not purely talk
Bolsonaro claimed, NGOs, and other countries are against such measures because they want to see indigenous peoples in a “Zoo” such as “prehistoric animals” caught.
Kleber Karipuna, the Representative of the coalition of Indigenous organisations of the Brazilian Amazon (GREENPEACE) in the state of Amapá, says that the Position of the President protects the interests of the private sector, particularly the mining industry,. “He makes these statements on the release of the gold mining, in order to attract the Public, and to legalize mining on indigenous territory. But for this he needs the consent of Congress”.
An ongoing threat
The area of the Terra Indígena Wajapi was established in 1996 and currently has about 1000 inhabitants. For a long time this area is threatened by the search for Gold. In the eighties dragged gold miners diseases – the result is that Indigenous died.
Since the beginning of the year, indigenous leaders from different peoples complaints about the rise in illegal gold hunting, especially in the territories of the Yanomami in the States of Roraima and Amazonas and in which the Kayapó and Munduruku peoples in the state of Pará. All the areas are in the rain forest dominated the North of Brazil.
“This increase in illegal activities and Emyras death are mining direct consequences of Jair Bolsonaros attitude to the gold on indigenous territory. He does not care what will happen in the end, whether it prospectors conflicts between the Gold and the Indigenous will be whether or not someone dies,” complains Kleber Karipuna.
Bolsonaros connection to the gold diggers
The gold mine is part of Bolsonaros past. As a member of Parliament, he said in 2018, the gold mining in the blood sun. During a reception in the chamber of deputies, in Brasília, representatives of the gold in the Serra Pelada graves mentioned Bolsonaro, that his father got there, searched in the South of the Federal state Parás, according to Gold.
Gold prospecting in the blood: President Jair Bolsonaro
Indigenous peoples are not a new attack target Bolsonaros are. During his election campaign he announced that there would be in the event of his victory, “not an inch more for indigenous reserves”.
In one of his first acts as President, he withdrew from the FUNAI, the indigenous concerns of the competent authority, and the Ministry of justice, the responsibility for the establishment of indigenous territories. Instead, he assigned this responsibility to the Ministry of agriculture for the Affairs of the landowners responsible. This decision was made by the Congress to undo.
At an event in Manaus, the capital of the Federal state of Amazonas, said Bolsonaro, he was looking for appreciate the support of rich countries in the development of the soil.
In the Brazilian Constitution, indigenous peoples have a right to continued possession of the surface they inhabit, and to the exclusive use of the raw materials and natural resources. Furthermore, the Constitution determines that the government has a duty to protect you and your property.