caracas, aug 31 (ips) - venezuela tuesday suggested the creation
of a joint commission with brazil to investigate the massacre of
yanomani indians near the ill-defined jungle border which divides
the two countries.
deputy foreign minister fernando gerbasi said caracas was
awaiting brazil's official confirmation of press reports alleging
the massacre had happened within venezuelan territory, which
would corroborate french anthropologist bruce albert's claims.
according to the press reports, police have concluded that
the village of maximu, where the yanomanis were massacred by
'garimpeiros' (illicit gold panners), is situated 15 kilometres
inside venezuela.
meanwhile, the president of the venezuelan presidential
commission appointed to investigate the jungle drama, charles
brewer, warned tuesday that ''news media speculations may hamper
what we all want--a thorough clarification of the case.''
brewer, who is a well-known naturalist and explorer of that
area, said that on friday he will head an expedition that will
investigate the circumstances of the atrocity, which reportedly
happened early in august.
''the only thing sure we know about the case,'' he said,
''is that the killers were 'garimpeiros'.''
there have been conflicting reports about the number of
yanomanis murdered. figures range from 12 to more than 50. the
area where the massacre took place is one of the most remote
and inhospitable jungles of the amazon basin.
the 'garimpeiros' have become the biggest enemies of the
yanomani indian nation--considered to be one of the most
primitive groups of jungle people on earth.
illicit gold-panning, on either side of the border, produces
several tons of gold per year, much of which is smuggled out of
brazil and venezuela to the international markets of europe and
north america.
the president of venezuela's college of sociologists,
alexander luzardo, told ips ''it's absurd to see how the
governments of brazil and venezuela are more concerned with the
location of the crime rather than investigating it. (more/ips)
amazonia: venezuela (2)
''this crime is evidence that in latin america a racist
conscience persists.''
luzardo called on the venezuelan government to step up its
efforts to find out what happened and to punish those
responsible. (ends/ips/tr/sp/np/hr/ip/caf/rh/it)
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