UN expert warns against risk of indigenous genocide in Brazil

The United Nations advisor for the prevention of genocide, Alice Wairimu Nderitu, denounced that there are risk factors for genocide, in addition to violations of the human rights of indigenous peoples in Brazil, and that this deserves urgent attention from the country’s authorities.

Wairimu made the alert in the presentation of the annual report to the UN Human Rights Council, which has an excerpt dedicated to the conclusions of a visit made to Brazil in the middle of this year.

“I note with concern that there is a history of serious violations, excessive use of force by security bodies, tensions between indigenous communities and other groups, as well as a range of policies that have allowed discrimination and abuse against these protected groups,” Wairimu said at a press conference.

The specialist’s observations focus on the Yanomami people, who live in Roraima, as well as on the Guarani Kaiowa community, settled in Mato Grosso do Sul.

In the case of the Yanomami, the specialist guaranteed that the lands of this community were “invaded” for mining, despite the fact that the Constitution of Brazil considers them protected territory.

“This extractive activity has caused mercury contamination of land and water in the region, with serious consequences for the health of this population, which has a high prevalence of malnutrition.

During the visit to Brazil, the specialist was also in the territory of the Guarani Kaiowa community and documented reports of “violent attacks” by the security forces against the population, including cases of murders and arbitrary arrests.

Wairimu warned that the violence could generate “serious physical and mental harm” for the Guarani population. During the mission in the country, the specialist also paid attention to the situation of black Brazilians, who represent more than 55% of the population.

After meeting with dozens of mothers of black victims of police violence, the specialist concluded that “structural racism and generalized violence against this population are atrocious”.

Faced with this finding, the UN demanded that the Brazilian government combat these crimes “in an independent and impartial manner”, with special attention to those committed by the security forces against the indigenous population.