Indigenous leader Guarani and Kaiowá, Estela Verá was victim of feminicide in MS

Gustavo Gilona – from Cenarium Magazine

MANAUS – Estela Verá, 67 years old, an indigenous and spiritual leader of the Guarani and Kaiowá people, was shot dead by hooded men in front of her son on Thursday afternoon, 15, in the village of Porto Lindo, located in the town of Japorã, Mato Grosso do Sul, 452 km from Campo Grande. Estela was an important healer in Mato Grosso do Sul.

Family members of the indigenous leader confirmed Estela’s death and the case, registered as a feminicide, is being investigated by the Civil Police of the State of MS.

According to the report, reproduced in full in the note below, a series of threats made by squatters, men armed with large calibre weapons, attacked the house and families of the healer Estela Vera, shooting several times in her direction and towards the children, hitting the healer several times in the head.

Read the full report released by the General Assembly of the Kaiowá and Guarani people on the case:

With deep regret we communicate the murder of the nhandesy Guarani spiritual leadership Estela Vera in the Yvy Katu tekoha, municipality of Japorã, in Mato Grosso do Sul. On 15/12/2022, at 3pm, a group of armed killers attacked the house and families of the prayerful Estela. The killers used large caliber firearms, attacked and fired several shots towards the children and the healer Estela.

The spiritual leader Estela was the main target of the killers, and several shots hit the head of the healer, who died in the courtyard of her house among the children.

The Yvy Katu Land is a traditional territory retaken between 2003 and 2013, where all the leaders suffer the threat of death by the ranchers. Currently, the space of Yvy Katu land has been invaded again and illegally occupied by tenant farmers, which has made several Yvy Katu leaders suffer death threats for making denunciations against the tenants of Yvy Katu indigenous land.

Prayer maker Estela was one of the spiritual leaders who received death threats in Yvy Katu. The other leader, Leila of Yvy Katu, has suffered death threats for making denunciations against leaseholders. In view of the fact of murder of leadership Estela Vera and ongoing death threat WE DEMAND federal investigation of this murder of traditional religious leadership Estela Vera. DEMAND protection for the leaders who have received death threats from the Yvy Katu tenant groups. Once again, we return to make denunciations of illegal leasing of indigenous land in the Yvy Katu territory, where the murder of Estela Vera occurred. We demand JUSTICE and a serious federal investigation into the murder that occurred. JUSTICE!

Via: @atyguasu