A member of the Workers' Party sees "hesitation" in the Minister of Justice.

Bahia 247 - The actions of the Minister of Justice, José Eduardo Cardozo, in attempting to mediate conflicts that have lasted for a year between indigenous people and farmers in southern Bahia are not viewed favorably by federal deputy Geraldo Simões, of the PT party.

The lawmaker blamed what he called the minister's "hesitation" for the violence and unrest in the southern region, where six areas of conflict with indigenous people have already been identified in recent weeks.

Geraldo was "particularly outraged" by the death, this morning, at his residence, of the president of the Ipiranga Settlement, Juraci José dos Santos Santana.

He had requested action from the security authorities after reporting that, in the group of 45 families sponsored by Incra, two people were self-declaring as indigenous and claiming not only their individual plots of land, but all 47 hectares of their encampment.

According to Geraldo, Minister Eduardo Cardozo had promised to install a security base in the settlement, "but he backed down, deepening the unrest in the region."

The congressman reported that last week, during a court-ordered repossession operation in the region, the group led by the chief known as "Babau" clashed with Federal Police and National Force officers for over an hour. In total, 100 properties were invaded in the region by self-proclaimed indigenous people.

"I attribute the climate of unrest in the southern region of Bahia, with six conflict points, to the vacillation of the minister, who does not control Funai, does not make the right decisions, preferring to curry favor with international organizations that defend indigenous rights," said the Workers' Party congressman.