Alert on increase in murders in rural areas of Brazil
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Pastoral Land Commission in Brazil found that in the country, between January and November 2021, 26 murders were recorded in conflicts in the countryside, 30% higher than what was recorded in 2020.
According to the agency, 418 territories in the country were targets of violence in the first eight months of 2021, 28% of which are indigenous territories. Likewise, the agency’s report ‘Violence against Occupation and Possession’ showed that of the 103 consequent deaths registered so far in 2021, 101 were Yanomami indigenous people.
Of the territories identified, 28% are indigenous territories; 23% are quilombolas; 14% are cataloged by the agency as squatter territories, and 13% are landless territories, among others.
“In the first six months of 2021, 26 people have been killed due to conflicts in the countryside in #Brazil. 30% higher than all of 2020 according to the report of Conflicts in the Countryside 2021, from the @cptnacional. Maranhão State, northeast of the country, has the highest rate with nine killed.” pic.twitter.com/XmkhSHZGR5
– André Vieira (@AndreteleSUR) December 20th, 2021
Other data detail that the destruction of housing increased by 94%, the destruction of belongings by 104%, whereas eviction rose by 153%, and the “impediment of access to areas of collective use” by 1,057 percentage points.
“During 2021, we monitored several invasions by prospectors into Yanomami territory, resulting in murders, aggressions, threats, threats to the territory, water contamination, and deforestation; in addition to being vectors of various diseases, among them Covid-19,” the Commission reiterated.
“ENTITIES LAUNCH REPORT ON AGRARIAN CONFLICT AND CRIMINALIZATION OF THE PEASANT STRUGGLE IN RONDÔNIA [STATE]”
Find out more: https://t.co/RPDBe5Zn94; pic.twitter.com/bnmXQM8Xxh
– CPT Nacional (@cptnacional) December 8th, 2021
“We also saw children being sucked into dredges and drowning while fleeing the gunfire of criminals. The lack of public health and nutrition policies exposed the high rate of malnutrition that affects Yanomami children, many times fatally, and also exposed how diseases such as malaria, leishmaniasis, and pneumonia continue to kill these indigenous people in our country,” the document recounted.
According to the Brazilian Committee of Human Rights Defenders (CBDDDH), in 2021, Brazil experienced another year of criminalization of popular movements, human rights defenders, and activists.
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