Brazil: Amazon land defender killed by illegal loggers

[Eugene]

Source: BBC

Brazil: Amazon land defender killed by illegal loggers

2 November 2019

A young indigenous land defender has been shot dead and another wounded by illegal loggers in Brazil's Amazon.

Paulo Paulino Guajajara was reportedly attacked and shot in the head while hunting on Friday inside the Arariboia reservation in Maranhao state.

He was a member of Guardians of the Forest, a group formed to combat logging gangs in the area.

The killing increases concerns about escalating violence against Amazon forest protectors.

Non-profit group Survival International, which advocates for isolated communities, says at least three Guardians have previously been killed, along with many of their relatives.

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Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-50278523


Paulo Paulino Guajajara worked to combat logging gangs in the Amazon (Reuters)

[Judi Lynn]

1. Outrage over killing of 'forest guardian' in Brazil's Amazon

BY PAULA RAMON (AFP) 13 MINS AGO IN WORLD

Activists expressed outrage Sunday at the killing of an indigenous "guardian of the forest" in Brazil's Amazon and called on the government to thwart illegal loggers in the region.

Paulo Paulino Guajajara and another tribesman, Laercio Guajajara, were ambushed by loggers late Friday as they patrolled the Arariboia territory in the northeastern state of Maranhao.

Both men are members of the Guardians of the Forest, a group of more than 100 tribesmen who attempt to protect their land from criminal logging gangs.

Paulo Paulino was shot in the neck and died in the jungle, according to Survival International, a group that defends indigenous rights. Laercio was shot in the back but managed to escape.

. . .

Since taking office in January, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been accused of harming the Amazon and indigenous tribes in order to benefit his supporters in the logging, mining and farming industries.

. . .

The group said the right-wing president's "assault on the country's environmental agencies is putting the rainforest and the people who live there at much greater risk."

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/world/outrage-over-killing-of-forest-guardian-in-brazil-s-amazon/article/561069#ixzz64FlGWDOP

[Judi Lynn]

2. Illegal Loggers Kill Indigenous Leader Guarding the Amazon Rainforest

"The Bolsonaro government has Indigenous blood on its hands. The increase in violence in Indigenous territories is a direct result of his hateful speeches.”

By Aral Bereux -November 7, 2019 050

Illegal Amazon rainforest loggers ambushed a young indigenous leader on Friday, murdering him in cold blood and wounding another member of the Guajajara people in Brazil.

Paulo Paulino Guajajara, 26, was shot in the head during the ambush. The murder occurred in the Araribóia Indigenous Reserve, an area under serious threat from illegal miners and loggers attempting to exploit the indigenous land.

Paulo was a prominent member of the Guardians of the Forest indigenous land defense group and took on the task of becoming a land defender. Guardians is a group of 120 indigenous Guajajara who risk their lives to defend theirs and other indigenous groups’ homes against loggers.

Reports say that during the attack, fellow member of the Guardian, Laércio Guajajara, was shot twice, grazing his arm and back before escaping the aggressors. He was later taken to hospital, said the Guardians’ leader who has also received threats from loggers.

More:
https://www.captain-planet.net/illegal-loggers-kill-indigenous-leader-guarding-the-amazon-rainforest/

Rest in Peace,

Paulo Paulino Guajajara