Armed miners attack Yanomami Indigenous people again in Roraima, says association

July 15, 2021

10:07

Bruno Pacheco – CENARIUM MAGAZINE

MANAUS – Armed miners attacked again this Tuesday, 13, the Palimiú community in the Yanomami Indigenous Territory in Roraima. According to indigenous leaders, this is the second attack on the Yanomami in less than a week. The information was released on Wednesday, 14, by the vice president of the Hutukara association and the Yanomami and Ye’kuanna Indigenous Health Council (Condisi-Y), Dário Yanomami.

According to the association, there were no injuries in any of the episodes. The first attack occurred on July 8, around 10:30am, when a group of Yanomami women were attacked near the Korekorema community, which is also in the Palimiú region. According to the association, leaders reported the attack by telephone.

“The women were searching for the body of a young man who had disappeared in the river when they were approached by a boat of armed miners who fired four shots, and returned to their camp on the Uraricoera River,” reads an excerpt from the Hutukara statement.

The second attack occurred around 2am on Tuesday 13th, in Palimiú. The region is in the city of Alto Alegre, located in the North region of Roraima’s State. According to the Hutukara association, the community was approached by two boats full of miners, who fired 10 gunshots in the direction of the Yanomami.

“Despite the recent and welcome actions to dismantle illegal mining in the region, the report indicates that indigenous communities continue to submit inside the Yanomami Indigenous Territory, demanding the continuity of actions to repress the illegal mining activities in the region and the permanent blocking of the logistics that allow its perpetuation,” the statement continues.

Repeated attack

The Palimiú community is on the riverside of the Uraricoera’s river in the Yanomami Indigenous Territory which is considered to be the largest indigenous reserve in Brazil, covering almost 10 million hectares between the states of Roraima and Amazonas. Around 27,000 indigenous people live in the region and are targeted by miners who have been invading the land in search of illegal gold extraction.

In the month of May, the climate of tension took hold of the community because of the constant attacks by miners. Since May 10, the Yanomami of Palimiú have been suffering from the offensives, with gunfire and tear gas bombs. In a video, it is possible to see the moment when the confrontations began.

Moment of the attack on the indigenous people on May 10 (Reproduction/Personal Archives)

In June of this year the Federal Police launched “Operation Omama” to remove the miners from the Indigenous Territory and to develop actions to combat illegal mining in the region. The actions occurred with the support of special troops, airplanes use and equipments that made strategic incursions in several mines inside the Yanomami Territory “aiming at seizing and disabling machinery, airplanes, inputs and other materials used in the extraction of gold”.

Indigenous people claim that even with the Federal Police operation, intimidation to Yanomami by miners continues. In a statement to CENARIUM on Wednesday, 14, the National Indian Foundation (FUNAI) said that it is still carrying out its activities at the Ethno-Environmental Protection Bases (Bapes) of the Yanomami Indigenous Territory and is following the case together with the indigenous community

“The foundation explains that the Yanomami area counts on the Bapes Serra da Estrutura, Walo Pali, Xexena and Ajarani. All these units are responsible for permanent and continuous actions of protection, supervision and surveillance of the territory, in addition to curbing illegal activities, access control, monitoring of health actions, among other activities. Finally, Funai clarifies that information relating to denunciations of illicit activities, as well as police operations in the Yanomami Indigenous Territory, can only be provided by the Federal Police”, Funai clarified in statement.

Translation: Bruno Sena