Brazil: 2 Indigenous 'Forest Guardians' Fighting Illegal Deforestation Killed

Two indigenous members of the Guajajara tribe in Brazil's Maranhao state were killed on Saturday. Both men were also "forest guardians" and part of a Brazilian indigenous group known for fighting against illegal deforestation.

The incident was reported by Indigenist Missionary Council, a nonprofit that monitors violence against native peoples. According to them, forest guard Janildo Oliveira Guajajara had multiple gunshot wounds from behind.

Another member of the Guajajara tribe was also shot but survived and was taken to the hospital Saturday morning. The group also reported that a third Guajajara tribesman was attacked the same morning.

Jael Carlos Miranda Guajajara died after he was run over by an unspecified vehicle in a separate municipality, with members of the group suspecting that he was targeted for an attack.

According to Associated Press, the Guajajara people live in Maranhao state's Arariboia Indigenous Territory. They often patrol their lands and expel invaders, and this always places them in conflicts with farmers and illegal loggers. Five of them were slain between 2019 and 2020.

The tribe had been active in combatting and protesting against violence, illegal logging, mining, and ranching. Sonia Guajajara, a member of the tribe, currently serves as the executive coordinator of the Association of the Indigenous Peoples of Brazil.

During a recent protest, she told reporters that she needed more details before commenting on the reports of the attacks on her people.

Guajajara People in Brazil and Their Fight Against Deforestation

The Guajajara people in Brazil have been fighting against deforestation for a long time now. Following the death of Zezico Guajajara, a teacher known for denouncing deforestation by illegal logging operators, Sonia Guajajara noted that for every warrior like Zezico who falls, many more will rise up.

Ana Paula Vargas, Brazil program manager for the non-government group Amazon Watch, told the Associated Press that Zezico was a marked man by loggers, who were also linked to the killings of other indigenous people in Brazil.

According to the Missionary Council's annual report on violence against indigenous people, 176 indigenous people were killed in 2021. That is down from the numbers in 2020 but was above the average from the past five years, which was around 123.

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro Loosened Protections for Indigenous Peoples

Illegal incursions into indigenous territory have increased since President Jair Bolsonaro came into power in 2019. Bolsonaro is a right-wing pro-business politician backed by some of the richest men in Brazil.

He loosened laws aimed at protecting indigenous people and the environment as soon as he came into office.

Among his anti-environmental policies was the dismantling of Brazil's environmental agency, Ibama, in 2019, as well as the passing of new regulations such as "Normative Instruction 9," which make it easier for private landowners to obtain property certificates on lands that are off-limits because they are protected indigenous land.

That means landowners can register property on land that is not "officially demarcated as indigenous territory."

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Brazil's Indigenous Population Fights Back - From DW