FUNAI

BRAZIL: Indigenous Groups Defend Constitutional Right to Land

MIRANDA and ANTONIO JOAO, Brazil, Feb 29 (IPS) - Thousands of indigenous people in the west-central Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul are living in precarious camps or small overcrowded reservations, lacking the land they need to grow the food needed to overcome high levels of malnutrition.

But despite government recognition of their ancestral land, their claims are tied up in court. Meanwhile, their community leaders face the threat of being killed for attempting to secure respect for indigenous people’s constitutional right to their traditional lands.

Campaign in support of the Cinta-Larga Indians...

is a warning for the Brazilian government and for international entities. The guarantee of the security and integrity of the Cinta-Larga Indians and their lands, under the threat of being invaded again by diamond diggers, is the theme of a campaign launched on the Internet. The campaign's objective is to alert authorities and the Brazilian government, as well as the UN, the OAS and Amnesty International, of the recurrent violations against the rights of this indigenous people.