Avá-Guarani Indigenous people are a target of violent attacks in southern Brazil

Brasil de Fato

The Avá-Guarani community, located in the Tekoha Guasu Guavira Indigenous Land in Guaíra, in the state of Paraná, was the target of yet another violent attack by big farmers on Thursday morning (17). The conflict left two Indigenous people injured, one after being run over by a truck and the other beaten with sticks by men identified as employees of a rural property in the region.   

Based on reports from residents of the community, a truck and four tractors loaded with poison advanced on the Yvyju Avary community, inside the Indigenous Land, at around 10 am, allegedly at the behest of a big farmer who is demanding the expulsion of the Indigenous people from the area. The National Public Security Force was called in to intervene, and the victims were taken to a hospital. “The big farmers have a truck full of non-Indigenous people making attacks. They’ve run over people and also killed the community’s dogs,” said Indigenous leader Nazany Martins.   

According to the Guarani Yvyrupa Commission (CGY, in Portuguese), the Avá-Guarani community live in constant tension due to big farmers’ attacks against Indigenous territories that are being regularized. One big farmer in the region agreed to negotiate the sale of his land for the demarcation of the Indigenous Lands, while another chose to resist violently, escalating the conflicts.   

This attack is part of a series of aggressions that have been taking place in recent months. Last Sunday (13), the Y’hovy village, also in Guaíra, was shot at from a neighboring big farm after a suspicious car drove around the area filming Indigenous leaders. Although no one was injured in the incident, the atmosphere of insecurity persists.   

The CGY issued a statement calling for the intervention of the federal authorities to guarantee the safety of the Avá-Guarani communities and demanding rigorous investigations to hold those responsible for the attacks to account. The situation in the Indigenous Land, Tekoha Guasu Guavira is considered critical, with an escalation of violence that exposes Indigenous families to imminent risks.   

Brasil de Fato contacted the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, which said that the National Force had been called in and had moved to the site, along with teams from the Federal Police and the National Foundation for Indigenous Peoples (FUNAI, in Portuguese). The conflict is now under control, and federal forces are staying in the region to prevent any further escalation. The National Force’s actions are focused on mediating disputes between Indigenous people and big farmers, as well as carrying out extensive patrols and support activities for the Paraná Civil Police.    

A history of violence   

Since July, the Indigenous people of the region have faced an intensification in acts of violence following the start of the movement to retake their traditional territory, the Tekoha Guasu Guavirá Indigenous Land. The area, which covers 24,000 hectares, was delimited by FUNAI in 2018 but has not yet been officially demarcated.   

In August, an attack left six Indigenous people injured, four of whom had to be hospitalized, two in serious condition. According to the Indigenous Missionary Council, the attackers used lead rifles and chainsaws and threatened to behead the villagers. “They said they were going to cut our heads off with chainsaws,” said one of the victims.   

Even after several reports, the attacks continued. The Avá-Guarani continue to face constant threats from big farmers and their employees. “I’ve been through other attacks, but now they’re no longer afraid to show their weapons,” said one of the victims of the recent episodes of violence.