Homicides against indigenous people decrease in the Legal Amazon, survey shows
18 de May de 2025
By Ana Pastana – From Cenarium
MANAUS (AM) – Violence against Indigenous peoples in the Legal Amazon region has shown a decrease in homicide crimes in the states of the region. This is according to data released by the 2025 Atlas of Violence, published on the 7th of this month, in comparison with the years 2022 and 2023. The data presents numbers of estimated and recorded homicide cases against Indigenous peoples in the country.
The study highlights a significant discrepancy between officially recorded homicide cases and estimated cases, particularly in regions such as the Legal Amazon. This is due to underreporting and the misclassification of violent deaths, often recorded as undetermined causes due to failures in investigation or forensics. To correct these distortions, the survey uses statistical methods to estimate the real number of homicides.
The states of Roraima and Amazonas recorded high numbers of estimated and recorded cases compared to other states in the Legal Amazon. In 2022, Roraima recorded 50 estimated cases of homicides against Indigenous people in the region; in 2023, this number rose to 60 cases in this category.
The state of Amazonas showed stability in the estimated numbers of homicides against Indigenous people, with 38 in 2022 and the same number in 2023. The state of Amapá did not record any estimated homicide cases in 2023. In 2022, there were two estimated homicides against Indigenous people in the region.
Rondônia had one estimated homicide case in 2023, the same number as recorded in 2022. Mato Grosso also stagnated in the estimated homicide numbers against Indigenous peoples in 2023, with four cases. In 2022, the state estimated three homicides.
The state of Pará presented ten estimated cases in 2022 and, in 2023, this number decreased considerably when, according to the published numbers, four homicide cases were recorded in the region in 2023.
Tocantins was another state in the Amazon region that recorded a decrease in the estimated homicide cases against Indigenous people. In 2022, the state recorded five estimated homicide cases; in 2023, this number was four cases.
Maranhão saw an increase in estimated cases compared to the previous year. In 2022, this number was six estimated cases, and in 2023, it was ten cases. Acre also recorded an increase in estimated homicide cases in 2023, with six cases. In 2022, the number was four cases.
Recorded Homicides
The state of Roraima continues to be the state with the highest number of violent incidents against Indigenous peoples, in comparison to other states in the Legal Amazon region, according to the data from the Atlas of Violence. According to the number of recorded homicides, the state of Roraima recorded 48 cases in 2022; in 2023, this number was 59 recorded cases.
The state of Amazonas also presented a high number of recorded homicides in 2022 and 2023 compared to other states in the Amazon region, second only to the state of Roraima. In 2022, the state of Amazonas recorded 38 homicide cases. In 2023, the number totalled 36 homicide cases against Indigenous people.
In 2023, the state of Amapá did not record any homicide cases against Indigenous people, according to the survey. This number indicates a drop compared to 2022, when two homicide cases were recorded.
Rondônia, in 2023, recorded an increase in reported homicides with one case. In 2022, the state had not recorded any homicides of Indigenous people. Mato Grosso recorded the same number of homicides in 2022 and 2023, with three cases.
The state of Pará, on the other hand, presented a decrease in the number of recorded homicides against Indigenous people in 2023, with four cases. In 2022, this number was ten recorded cases. Tocantins showed an increase in 2023, with four homicide cases recorded in the state. In 2022, this number was three recorded cases.
The states of Maranhão and Acre also recorded an increase in the number of recorded homicide cases. In 2023, the state of Maranhão recorded ten homicide cases, while in 2022, this number was six records. In Acre, six homicide cases were recorded, two more than in 2022, when four cases were registered.
National Level
At the national level, the number of estimated homicides in the country was 234 in both 2022 and 2023, with no variation recorded.
Regarding recorded homicides, the number increased by 10.7% compared to the previous year. In 2022, Brazil recorded 205 homicides against Indigenous people. In 2023, this number was 227.
Land Conflicts
In May of this year, the Pastoral Land Commission (CPT), in Manaus, announced that Brazil recorded the second highest number of land conflicts in the historical series in 2024, with 2,185 cases, second only to 2023, with 2,250. The main victims are Indigenous people.
According to the survey, the number of murders decreased in 2024, with 13 victims recorded; in 2023 there were 31 cases. Regarding attempted murders, the numbers indicated that this was the third most common form of violence practised against rural communities and peoples, with 103 occurrences in 2024 alone.