Brazil's Guarani tribal leader found dead
Source: Agence France-Presse
Brazil's Guarani tribal leader found dead
AFP December 4, 2013, 10:03 am
Sao Paulo (AFP) - An indigenous leader who for decades fought for his people's right to live on their ancestral lands, was murdered in Brazil's Mato Grosso do Sul state, police said Tuesday.
Ambrosio Vilhalva, a Guarani tribal elder, was stabbed to death Sunday at the entrance of his community known as Guyra Roka, according to press reports and London-based group Survival International, which champions the rights of indigenous people worldwide.
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Survival meanwhile noted that Vilhalva had starred as the main character in the award-winning film "Birdwatchers", which portrays the Guarani tribe's desperate struggle for their land.
Guarani Indians, whose total population in Brazil is estimated at 46,000, have been trying to recover a small portion of their original territories, but face violent resistance from wealthy ranchers as well as soya and sugar cane plantation owners.
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