threatens its uncontacted peoples Published on Servindi - Servicios de Comunicación Intercultural (https://www.servindi.org)

Imprimir articulo Exportar a PDF Volver

Brazil threatens its uncontacted peoples

This week the incursion of an American missionary to the ethnic group in Hi-Merima isolation was denounced. If the income of pastor Steve Campbell is confirmed, this would represent the possible crime of genocide. Meanwhile, ’s administration announces its interest to intervene and modify the lifestyles of the uncontacted through its Ministry of Women, Family and Human Rights.

By José Díaz

Servindi, January 4th, 2019.-A potential indigenous genocide may have occurred in Brazil just a few days ago. This is due to the questionable visit made by the American missionary Steve Campbell to the territory of the ethnic uncontacted group Hi-Merima, in the south of the of Amazonas. This action put at risk the integrity of at least 100 isolated indigenous people recently located by the Brazilian authorities.

The National Indian Foundation (FUNAI) [1] conducted a questioning a few days ago to the missionary who acted financed by the Greene Baptist Church and who used local indigenous Jamamadi to access Hi-Merima territory. Unexpected visits put at risk the immune systems of peoples in isolation.

"If it is configured, in the investigation, that there was interest to make contact, to use his

Page 1 of 3 Brazil threatens its uncontacted peoples Published on Servindi - Servicios de Comunicación Intercultural (https://www.servindi.org) relationship with other Indians to approach the isolates ones, he can be accused of a crime of genocide by deliberately exposing the safety and life of the hi-merima ", pointed out Bruno Pereira, coordinator of FUNAI.

FUNAI has called on the Prosecutor's Office and the Brazilian Federal Police to initiate investigations into Steve Campbell's visit to a population in isolation. This puts at risk the biological memory of the entire population, risking their extinction, and not respecting the self-determination of the Hi-Merima ways of life who remain incommunicado from the westernized Brazilian populations.

Complicated context

This denunciation against the conservative Christian missionary occurs in a complicated period for the indigenous populations of Brazil. This is because the entry of Jair Bolsonaro into the presidency will provoke changes in indigenous policies. One of the approaches that will be modified will be precisely the one related to the peoples in a situation of isolation.

As it was anticipated by the current Minister of Women, Family and Human Rights, Damares Alves, a controversial evangelical pastor, Brazil's federal policy will be to integrate Brazilian society to uncontacted peoples. Something that in recent decades has been discouraged and avoided by institutions such as FUNAI and other indigenous entities who point out that these decisions can cause deaths in uncontacted Indians due to diseases or can lead to the disappearance of their lifestyles.

For the moment, Jair Bolsonaro’s administration has begun a weakening stage against FUNAI, a historical entity that was in charge of protecting the diverse indigenous peoples of Brazil. From the first days of January, this institution will not have more interference in issues of delimitation and registration of indigenous lands since these functions have been delegated to the Ministry of Agriculture.

In a few days of administration, Jair Bolsonaro has shown his disinterest in protecting the rights of indigenous peoples. Its colonizing and interventionist policies, with market criteria, begin to be applied in the Amazon, which has already generated some protests. Will Indigenous Peoples Resist Four Years of Government by Jair Bolsonaro?

It may interest you

#Brasil [2]: #PueblosIndígenas [3] se movilizan contra las primeras medidas de #JairBolsonaro [4] → https://t.co/jSWJSZH1sp [5] pic.twitter.com/REfXGxG1HH [6]

— Servindi (@Servindi) 4 de enero de 2019 [7]

Valoración: 0

Sin votos (todavía)

Source URL: https://www.servindi.org/actualidad-noticias/07/01/2019/brazil-threatens-its- uncontacted-peoples

Page 2 of 3 Brazil threatens its uncontacted peoples Published on Servindi - Servicios de Comunicación Intercultural (https://www.servindi.org)

Links [1] https://www.survival.es/sobre/funai [2] https://twitter.com/hashtag/Brasil?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw [3] https://twitter.com/hashtag/PueblosInd%C3%ADgenas?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw [4] https://twitter.com/hashtag/JairBolsonaro?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw [5] https://t.co/jSWJSZH1sp [6] https://t.co/REfXGxG1HH [7] https://twitter.com/Servindi/status/1081307281529044992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Page 3 of 3