Officers at the federal base in Terra Yanomami in Roraima are attacked by gunfire

The federal base set up two weeks ago in the village of Palimiú, in the Yanomami Indigenous Land, in the state of Roraima, was attacked by gunfire this Thursday (23). The criminals allegedly broke through the roadblock set up on the Uraricoera River and shot at the agents, who retaliated and injured one of the invaders.

According to the Federal Police, the criminals went down the river in seven boats loaded with cassiterite, one of the minerals extracted in the region. “The shipment of ore stolen from the indigenous land was identified by drones operated by Ibama. After the attack, the criminals fled,” he says in a press release.

Rodrigo Agostinho, president of Ibama, says the attack was programmed. “All those who try to break through the blockade will be arrested. Putting an end to illegal mining is President Lula’s determination,” he said to Agência Brasil.

The location is the same where illegal miners opened fire on the Federal Police in May 2021, and where a steel cable was installed in the river to prevent the passage of vessels, earlier this week. According to Ibama, no loaded boat has passed through the blockade since then.

The objective of the federal base is to prevent the entry of supplies and equipment for mining in the indigenous land, which has been protected by agents of the National Security Force, Federal Highway Police and Ibama since the beginning of the month. Still according to the corporation, part of the personnel involved in the Liberation operation was sent to the base.