It is an unprecedented fact in Brazil: Manoel Lucindo da Silva, exploiter
of rubber forests, was sentenced to fifteen years' imprisonment for genocide
against the Oro-Win Indians. He took part in August of 1963 in a massacre
against these Indians, one of many others. The jury was unanimous in declaring
that the attack had been aimed at ethnically decimating those Indians. The
judgement took place in the city of Guajara'-Mirim, in the Amazonian state
of Rondo^nia, on the border between Brazil and Bolivia. Manoel Lucindo da
Silva is more than 70 years old today.
Soon after the massacre, the Indians who survived it began to work for
Manoel Lucindo; later, they left their lands to live with the Pakaa Nova
Indians. Manoel took possession of the Indian territory and lived there
until 1992, when it was demarcated as the Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau Indian Area. It was
only then that the Oro-Win, which today amount to no more than 50 persons,
returned to their traditional territory.
No other person in Brazil had ever been judged before for genocide against
Indians. The only conviction before this one was for homicide, involving
three men who took part in the killing of three Xakriaba Indians in 1977.
The woodcutter responsible for the massacre of 14 Tikuna Indians in 1988
has not been judged so far, and the miners accused of genocide against 16
Yanomami are still at large.
CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEW IS OVER
The deadline for finishing the constitutional review which began on
Octuber 13, 1993 expired on May 31st. The works were closed at a session
that lacked the necessary quorum even for approving the resuming of the
review next year. Only seven amendments were made to the constitutional
text. None of them, however, introduced major changes, considering that
certain groups intended to put an end to the monopoly of the State in the
telecommunications sectors and also to allow foreing companies to prospect
for and exploit ores in Brazil.
Since the beginning, the review had been regarded as a political coup
by several jurists, leftist parties and organizations linked to the popular
movement, and the Indians had left it clear on several occasions that they
were against the proposed changes. Among other reasons, the failure of the
review was caused by the lack of unity of those who supported it and the
fact that the President of the Republic remained rather aloof from it.
Victory for the Indians.
Brasi'lia, June 2, 1994
CIMI - Indianist Missionary Council