Some news on the struggle for land in Brazil

Hereby we share some extracts of articles on the struggle for land found in A Nova Democracia.

The Guarani-Kaiowá people reaffirm the path of struggle

Between March 16 and 22, the Extraordinary Meeting of the Guarani-Kaiowá people’s organization, Aty Guasu, took place at the Itay Ka’aguy Rusu encampment in Douradina, Mato Grosso do Sul. This event gathered leaders, youth, children, and Indigenous people from various ethnicities, aiming to strengthen the Indigenous struggle in the region. The choice of Douradina as the venue was strategic, reflecting the resistance of the Guarani-Kaiowá after the attacks suffered on their lands the previous year.

During the meeting, a Letter of Commitment was signed, uniting 24 Indigenous peoples from Brazil, recognizing the Guarani-Kaiowá peasants as brave heirs of a historical struggle. The letter demanded justice and the demarcation of territories, essential for the dignity of Indigenous peoples.

The peasants remembered the horrors faced the previous year when a paramilitary camp terrorized their communities, resulting in massacres and violence. They criticized the State’s ommission and government connivence. The letter also denounced the actions by the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples and by Funai, which, according to the Indigenous people, threaten their existence by promoting negotiation tables that disregard their constitutional rights.

Additionally, they condemned the proposal for land purchases and the lack of punishment for the murderers of Indigenous people. The letter concluded with a firm commitment to struggle, stating that as long as their rights are denied, the Indigenous people will reclaim their territories.

On March 20, a large act was held in alliance with other Indigenous peoples, aiming to pressure authorities to respect Indigenous rights and recognize their traditional lands, which are fundamental for the preservation of their culture and way of life. The meeting and the act reflected the determination of Indigenous peoples in their fight for their rights.

Against the attacks from goons and big landlords, Indigenous peasants take to the roads.

Indigenous peasants from the Pataxó and Tupinambá peoples in Bahia carried out a demonstration on April 4, blocking the BR-101 near Itamaraju to demand the immediate demarcation of their territories and the release of political prisoners. During the protest, goons attacked the Comexatibá Indigenous Land, injuring an Indigenous person in the abdomen, who required surgery. The Pataxó reported that big landlords led the attackers, who left a gun at the scene while fleeing. Although a police report was filed, the police did not clarify the responsibility of the goons, thus protecting them.

The attack appears to have been coordinated with the police, who were about to carry out an illegal eviction in the same territory. This type of collaboration between the police and paramilitary groups is not new. The governor of Bahia created a Task Force to mediate the Indigenous issue, but it has only sent officials to pressure Indigenous people to withdraw their claims. On March 11, Indigenous representatives demanded in Brasília the acceleration of the demarcation of their territories, but the Minister of Justice refused to intervene until the “Temporal Framework” law has been voted.