Illegal miners kill two Yanomami Indians in the Amazon.
"The murder of two more Yanomami people by invading gold miners must be thoroughly investigated," says human rights organization.
Sputnik - Invading miners killed two Yanomami Indians in the Brazilian Amazon, a human rights group revealed on Friday (26), warning that the incident could turn into a "cycle of violence" in the region.
The Yanomami, indigenous people known for their intricate facial paintings and piercings, remained isolated from the outside world until the mid-20th century, and many still live deep within the Amazon rainforest.
The fatal shooting occurred in early June, but reports reached Roraima police this week when a Yanomami man accompanying his wife to the hospital in the state capital, Boa Vista, told the story to authorities, according to the Hutukara Yanomami Association (HAY).
The incident appears to follow a pattern that has frequently occurred in Yanomami lands since the 80s, in which gold miners initially offer food and trinkets to the indigenous people, and then increasingly invade their reserves, leading to conflicts.
"We fear that the families of the murdered Yanomami may decide to retaliate against the illegal miners, according to the Yanomami judicial system, potentially leading to a cycle of violence that could end in tragedy," the human rights group said in a statement.
The Yanomami have a history of conflict with invading gold miners dating back to the 1970s. Along with diseases like measles and malaria, the conflicts decimated the Yanomami population, which today numbers 27.
"The murder of two more Yanomami people by invading gold miners must be thoroughly investigated and underscores the need for the Brazilian government to act urgently to immediately remove all gold miners operating illegally on Yanomami lands," the organization stated.