Brazil: Government to abandon tribes to 'genocide' by loggers and ranchers

http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_round_up/2988888/brazil_government_to_abandon_tribes_to_genocide_by_loggers_and_ranchers.html
Date Written:  2017-04-26
Publisher:  Ecologist
Year Published:  2017
Resource Type:  Article
Cx Number:  CX20832

Brazil's extreme right wing government is preparing to open up the rainforest territories of uncontacted indigenous tribes to 'free for all' development by defunding the protection they currently receive.

Abstract: 
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Excerpt:

There are estimated to be over 100 uncontacted tribes in Brazil, well over two-thirds of the global population of uncontacted people. Many of them live in indigenous territories, which total over 54.3 million hectares of protected rainforest, an area about the size of France.

These territories are guarded by just 19 dedicated FUNAI teams. It is possible that all 19 teams could be eliminated from the Brazilian state budget, despite the fact that money spent maintaining these teams is equal to the average salaries and benefits paid to just two Brazilian congressmen per year.

The proposals are the latest in a long list of actions from the Temer government, which came to power in 2016 after the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff in what has been described as an "blatant political coup" that could have catastrophic consequences for indigenous peoples.