Brazil: federal base agents on Yanomami land in Roraima are attacked with gunfire

The federal base set up two weeks ago in the Palimiú village on Yanomami Indigenous Land, in the state of Roraima, was attacked with gunfire on Thursday (23).

The criminals broke through the blockade set up on the Uraricoera River and fired shots at the agents, who shot back and wounded one of the invaders.

According to the Federal Police, the criminals went down the river in seven boats loaded with cassiterite, one of the ores mined in the region.

“Drones operated by Ibama identified the shipment of ore stolen from the indigenous land. After the attack, the criminals fled,” it says in a press release.

Rodrigo Agostinho, president of Ibama, says the attack was programmed.

“All those who try to pierce the blockade will be arrested. Putting an end to illegal mining is a determination of President Lula,” he told Agência Brasil.

The place is where illegal miners opened fire on the Federal Police in May 2021 and where a steel cable was installed in the river to prevent the passage of boats at the beginning of this week.

Ibama says no loaded boats have passed through the blockade since then.

The objective of the federal base is to prevent the entry of mining supplies and equipment into the indigenous land, which has been protected by agents of the National Security Force, the Federal Highway Police, and Ibama since the beginning of the month.

According to the corporation, part of the personnel involved in Operation Liberation was sent to the base.

With information from Gazeta do Povo