Yanomami leader blames illegal mining for murder of indigenous woman in Roraima

Marcela Leiros – From Cenarium Magazine

MANAUS – The vice president of the Hutukara Yanomami Association (HAY), Dario Kopenawa, called “tragedy” the attack against a group of indigenous Yanomami in Boa Vista, capital of Roraima, on Friday, 11, which resulted in the death of a woman. The leader further stated that the crime is the result of an “anti-indigenous, Bolsonarist and gold-digging” State, as shown by the CENARIUM MAGAZINE in the October issue of this year.

To the report, this Sunday, 13, Kopenawa also reiterated that, unlike what happens in the Yanomami Indigenous Land (TI), whose responsibility lies with the Union, this crime was committed within the State. “This crime is a tragedy, a crime that happened within the government, within the State. It is hate crime, tragedy, it is a brutal murder that happened”, he said.

Read also: Study shows that fish consumption is threatened because of illegal mining in the Yanomami TI in RR

“It seems that we are people who have no life. That’s the white man’s view. That’s why they attacked, someone killed, they attacked my relatives and I know it’s the Bolsonarists from the state of Roraima, the gold miners. I think that, but I have no proof. I get that because the state is anti-indigenous”, he added.

In the print magazine titled “Amazonia in trance”, the report “Roraima: ‘Bolsonarism’ gains strength” showed that Jair Bolsonaro (PL) obtained, in Roraima, the highest percentage of valid votes, in the first round of the election, considering all the states of the Legal Amazon. He got 69.57% of the votes, against 23.05% for Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT).

Murder

After the case, HAY released a statement claiming that it was a cold-blooded murder, reiterating that it is unacceptable that the State capital, with the largest presence of indigenous people in relation to the total population, remains a place of harassment and attacks against the indigenous people who live there.

“The presence of the Yanomami group that was the target of an attack in the city has been a constant reason for prejudiced complaints against them, ignoring not only the vulnerable situation to which they are subjected when they are in the city, but also fueling discrimination against indigenous people due to their cultural particularities and ways of life”, it said.

The association also demanded from the authorities effectiveness and speed in the investigation of the case. “The authorities need to diligently investigate those responsible for the attacks and what motivated them. The willingness to murder indigenous people who were passing through the city, peacefully gathered in a public place, is a hate crime and should be investigated as such”, the document states.

Understanding the case

On Friday 11, a group of indigenous people were camped near the Feira do Produtor (Producer’s Market) in Boa Vista, Roraima, when they were attacked by two men on bicycles. The shots fired at the group killed the indigenous woman Ana Yanomami Xexana, mother of a baby, and wounded a man who is hospitalized.

According to the Hutukara, the group is from the Ajarani region, where the Yanomami communities were most affected by the impact of the opening of the Perimetral Norte highway, prior to the demarcation of the Yanomami Indigenous Land, the largest demarcated indigenous territory in the country.

According to the Civil Police of Roraima, the homicide of Ana Yanomami Xexana and attempted homicide are under investigation to identify the authors and motivation for the crimes. The investigations are under secrecy, according to the police institution. Anyone with information about the crime can contact the General Homicide Police Station at (95) 98413-3216.

Check out the note of the Hutukara Associação Yanomami (HAY) in full: