The impasse between indigenous people and authorities in Rio Grande do Sul continues.
Indigenous people denounce the harassment of native leaders and the use of tactics to allegedly hinder negotiations for the demarcation of their lands; therefore, with the presence of the Chief Minister of the General Secretariat of the Presidency, Gilberto Carvalho, a meeting led to the formation of a national discussion table and the allocation of approximately six thousand hectares to mitigate the conflict between indigenous people and farmers in Rio Grande do Sul.
Iuri Müller, South21 - The discussion on the demarcation of indigenous lands in Rio Grande do Sul had a new meeting on Wednesday afternoon (4), this time outside the halls of the Piratini Palace. The debate took place at the headquarters of the Federal Public Ministry in Porto Alegre and sought, in the words of prosecutor Domingos Dresch, to be a moment "that did not stir the embers of the fire". With the presence of the Minister-Chief of the General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic, Gilberto Carvalho, the meeting forwarded the formation of a national discussion table and the availability of about six thousand hectares to mitigate the conflict between indigenous people and farmers in the state.
In addition to representatives from the state and federal governments, the discussion brought together members of Incra, Funai, and the Public Prosecutor's Office itself. The meeting took place after the confrontation between military police and indigenous people in Praça da Matriz on the 30th, and the release of at least two political statements by indigenous rights organizations against the government of Tarso Genro (PT), in which they denounce the harassment of indigenous leaders and the use of tactics to allegedly hinder negotiations for the demarcation of their lands.
Gilberto Carvalho began his participation by stating that the impasse "is not a matter to be resolved in a few months, but that it will take the necessary time to calculate and pay the price of the due compensations." Indigenous people and farmers are disputing common areas in northern Rio Grande do Sul, in cities such as Sananduva and Mato Castelhano.
To reduce the possibility of conflict in areas where tension is rising, the state government has proposed ceding approximately six thousand hectares for negotiations. According to the Secretary of Rural Development of Rio Grande do Sul, Ivar Pavan, the lands could serve both indigenous people and peasant farmers. "Both sides can make use of this proposal, but if neither is interested, the lands will revert to the government," he stated.
The six thousand hectares largely refer to forest nurseries belonging to the State Silos and Warehouses Company (CESA) and land belonging to the State Electric Energy Company (CEEE). Present at the meeting, the Kaingang leader Augusto Alpen da Silva stated that what the people expect "is an official demarcation based on original rights," and not relocation to other places. However, the proposal is of interest to the indigenous movement in that it would allow farmers to relocate to the areas offered by the state – thus reducing tension in the northern municipalities.
The Kaingang and Guarani peoples – the two groups most affected by the current land demarcation situation in the state – demanded the resolution of "urgent measures," which include the demarcation and declaration of small areas where conflict seems imminent, so that they can remain at the negotiating table. The federal government expects that a solution can be found in conjunction with the ministries of the General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic and Justice. The deadline for specific resolutions was set for the beginning of October.
The lack of clear steps towards demarcation has led to a harsher tone in the dialogue on more than one occasion. Indigenous representatives stated that, should the impasse persist, the demarcation of the lands "will need to be done with our own hands, as we have done in other years of our history." Ricardo Zamora, the governor's chief of staff, stated that the possibility of confrontation "is very worrying," but defended that "it was important that the meeting was held at the headquarters of the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office, from whom we demanded action on this matter."
After more than two hours of meetings, indigenous people and their supporters argued with representatives of the state government. Those outside complained mainly about the actions of the Military Police in Praça da Matriz during the incident on August 30th. Pressured by the protesters, they retreated and left the Public Prosecutor's building through an alternative exit.