Brazil: Indigenous communities reel from illegal gold mining

Spike in violence linked to illegal mining activities prompts Indigenous communities to demand protection.

Sao Paulo, Brazil – The armed attackers came in boats during the night. Local leaders told authorities that four boatloads of men arrived last week and threw tear gas canisters at the Maikohipi village, nestled in the Palimiu region in Brazil’s largest and best-known Indigenous reserve, Yanomami. The area is home to seven tribal communities flanked by illegal gold mining operations – and the attack on June 5 was just one episode in a recent uptick of violence.