Brazilian Court Evicts Indians from Their Traditional Land

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The Guarani-Kaiowa Indians of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil A federal court of Mato Grosso do Sul issued a writ of entry in favor of the owners of the Madama Farm, located in the traditional territory of the Guarani, in the Amambaí­ region. The area was occupied by about 60 Kaiowá Guarani on May 6.

It was a decision to be applied immediately, since the court had already granted a decision in favor of the farmers in a lawsuit requesting an injunction after the same area was reoccupied in January of this year. This decision prevented the indigenous people from returning to the area.

The Federal Police went to the reoccupied area on May 10 and they are already authorized to evict the Indians. According to indigenous leaders, on the 8th at night ruffians working for farmers fired their guns in the air in the region.

Flávio Reis, an attorney of the Federal Prosecutor's Office in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, said that he has no plans to appeal against the judicial decision for the time being. He said that he was only informed about the judicial decision and still needs to study it carefully.

The Coordination of Social Movements of Mato Grosso do Sul, which has always supported the struggle of indigenous people in that state, is mobilizing itself to prevent what they call "this new act of violence against the Kurussu Ambá community."

Murder

In January, after the same area was reoccupied by the Guarani, gunmen hired by farmers evicted them from the farm without any legal authority. During the eviction action, a Guarani religious leader, Xurete Lopes, was shot to death near her tent. Her murderers remain unpunished until now.

During the same action, four indigenous people were arrested under charges of theft in a situation prepared by the farmers. They have been kept in prison since then.

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