So Paulo, 25 February 1992
CCPY Update 53
ONE INDIAN AND TWO GARIMPEIROS DIE IN ARMED CONFLICT
- One Yanomami Indian and two garimpeiros died in an armed
conflict on 19 February near the old Paapi# village, inside
indigenous territory. According to a report by the National
Indian Foundation (FUNAI), nineteen garimpeiros passed that day
through the Paapiu communal hut (maloca).
- After talking with the Yanomami the garimpeiros entered the
forest accompanied by some of the Indians. Then garimpeiros
fired shot guns at one of the Indians, Yaduce, about 25 years
old, who died on the spot. Another Yanomami returned to the
village and together with more Indians chased after the
garimpeiros, killing two of them.
- These deaths reveal the fragility of security in the Yanomami
territory, where there are still some hundreds of invaders.
According to an evaluation by FUNAI, around 350 garimpeiros that
were mining inside Venezuela returned to Yanomami territory in
Brazil, after Venezuela began taking action against mining there,
as reported in UPDATE 52.
- Inspection and control in the area continues to be precarious
and urgently needs reinforcement. FUNAI believes that if it
doesn't receive support soon, another large scale invasion of the
territory could occur. Currently there are only 11 federal
police agents in the territory. These agents share with health
teams the use of helicopters hired from the Air Force. The two
helicopters are not enough for both health and inspection work.
- Demarcation of the Yanomami territory is currently continuing.
The work is being carried out by ten teams from the construction
firm Asserplan. In the middle of February the federal
prosecution service investigated FUNAI's tendering process in
which Asserplan was contracted. There had been suspicion that
FUNAI had unduly favoured the company, but the federal
prosecution service concluded that the tendering and contracting
process had been within the law.
- CCPY has detected in Roraima a movement of garimpeiros leaders
linked to local press, to destabilize the demarcation of the
Yanomami territory. One newspaper in Boa Vista published,
without revealing its source, a report that six garimpeiros had
been killed by Indians in the last few weeks. According to the
newspaper report, FUNAI had held back the reporting of these
deaths and had incited Yanomami to attack the garimpeiros. Their
2
bodies were not found.
CCPY BEGINS TO EXTEND ITS HEALTH CARE WORK
- CCPY is starting a new phase of health care for the Yanomami in
the Demini-Toototobi-Balau-Tarau regions - Area 15, and intends
to expand the existing Yanomami Health Project.
- The objective is the immediate implementation of continuous
health care along the Toototobi, Balau and Tarau rivers, beside
the continuation of the existing health care among the
Watoriketheri at the Demini Post. The project provides for the
setting up of a new health care station for the more than 1,000
Yanomami who live along the above mentioned regions.
- The Indians themselves have already started work on building a
landing strip, where the new health post will be built. New
professionals are being hired and a new team of four
professionals with a Yanomami interpreter has entered the
Toototobi area.
- Until the landing strip and new post are built, this team will
be based at the old installations of the New Tribes Mission of
Brazil (MNTB), on the banks of the Toototobi.
- We hope with this team to establish the permanent presence of
health professionals in the area, in order to reduce the high
indices of malarial infestation and of other diseases. Since
January around 400 Yanomami in this area have been vaccinated
against yellow fever and hepatitis B.
- In February contacts have been made with governmental and non-
governmental agencies (FUNAI, MNTB, the National Health
Foundation) as well as with possible funding agencies, in order
to secure cooperation and support for the prompt implementation
of the new project.
- The Demini Project, initiated in 1990, had as its priority the
installation of a health post in the Watoriketheri region, in
which two health professionals took up residence. After one year
with daily monitoring of the health situation in the region, not
only has the incidence of malaria decreased, but there has been a
real increase in the population.
- Before the project, annual incidence of malaria was 1.07 per
Yanomami in this area, this decreased to 0.21 per inhabitant,
which means an 80% reduction in the number of cases of malaria in
only one year.
- Faced with this experience and the requests of Indians that
live in more distant regions, CCPY has drawn up the new health
care project. Through this project, CCPY is sure it can revert
the current pryserious health situation of the Yanomami in this
region.
Comissao pela Criacao do Parque Yanomami - CCPY
Rua Manoel da Nobrega 111 cj.32
04001 So Paulo SP Brasil