- Violence and tension in indigenous area - protest messages
requested.
In July of 1994 a commission was set up in the municipality
of Aripuana, State of Mato Grosso with the objective of building
a road linking Aripuana with Apui (State of Amazonas). The road
was planned to cut across the Arara Indigenous area of Rio
Branco. The road would benefit principally the large ranchers
from the region. The rancher who would most benefit from its
construction is Luis Almeida. An order for the demarcation of
this area had been signed by the Minister of Justice, Mauricio
Correa on November 25, 1992. When the commission began the
construction of the road, tension increased in the region.
In October of 1994, rancher and lawyer Luis Almeida blocked
access to the road and put an armed guard there to impede the
entry of "undesirable" people. People on this list of
"undesirables" included functionaries from the federal government
land agency (known as FUNAI) and Church workers. Church workers
including members of the Indigenous Missionary Council (CIMI) and
two local priests were falsely accused of being responsible for
impeding the access of the government functionaries and were
summoned to give evidencea at a police inquiry.
The Church workers and priests discovered that the
accusations against them were not only false but serious. They
were accused of organizing a guerrilla group which encouraged the
indians to burn bridges; they were accused of being in contact
with foreign powers from which they were receiving money to buy
land to form indigenous areas and since they were against the
construction of the road through the Arara area they were
consequently accused of being against the development of the
local municipality.
On January 12, 1995, a FUNAI team arrived to initiate the
demarcation process of the indigenous area. Reaction and
opposition to this event soon came from Luis Almeida and other
local inhabitants who sent a vehicle with a sound system to
convoke the population to a general meeting. During the public
invitation to the meeting, the Church was attacked and phrases
such as "we cannot allow Aripuana to become indigenous reserves"
were used. At the meeting the participants were encouraged not to
be afraid of bloodshed in the region and the Church and
especially the local priest - Father Mario Guinzoni, were
scandalously calumniated. It was obvious that the purpose of the
meeting was to gain public opinion in the region against the
demarcation of the indigenous area.
Bishop Antonio Possamai with his legal advisors and members
of the Missionary Indigenous Council visited Aripuana on February
05 and 06 where they met with the local mayor and the president
of the municipal legislature. They made it clear that the Church
is not against development or the construction of roads in
general but is opposed to projects such as the one in question
which will benefit a few privileged persons and will cause
serious damage to the lives, well-being and culture of the
weakest segment of the local population i.e. the Arara indians.
Soon after the bishop's visit, a campaign of mis-information and
calumny was directed against the bishop and the local diocese of
Ji-Parana.
ACTION APPEAL: As we prepare this material, the situation is very
tense in the region. Death threats have been issued against the
local priest, Father Mario Guinzoni, against the president of the
president of the local rural trade union, Eudes Nepomuceno and
against Nueri Fernandes Souza and Sister Lourdes Christ who work
with CIMI in the region. Hired armed gun-men have been brought
into the area to ensure that the demarcation process does not
start.
For this reason we appeal for your solidarity and support.
Please send protest messages (faxes, letters, phone calls )to the
Procurator General's office demanding that those who have
received death threats be guaranteed adequate protection; that
the Arara indians be guaranteed their constitutional rights so
that their lands be immediately demarcated; that the road
construction be stopped and that the Church and its workers be
allowed to carry out it work without threat and calumny. The
Procurator General's address is:
Dr. Aristedes Junqueira,
Procuradoria Geral da Republica,
SGAS Q640 Lote 23 L2 Sul,
70.200 Brasilia,
DF., Brazil.
Fax: +55 61 313 5197
Phone: +55 61 315 5515.
Please send us copies of your protest messages at
Sejup@ax.apc.org - thank you for your collaboration and support.