We, the Council of Wajãpi Villages-APINA, want to disclose new information about what is happening in Wajãpi Indigenous Land. And we want to request the support of the federal police or the army again to ensure the safety of Wajãpi Indigenous People.
Yesterday, July 30, 2019, in the morning, we received the Senator Randolfe Rodrigues’ visit. He came to listen to us about what is happening in our Indigenous Land and to seek clarification of some information he had received. The Senator said that he would continue to support us for the police keeping going on investigating the invasion until arresting the invaders. And to remain in Wajãpi Indigenous Land, protecting our communities until we can ensure that the invaders are not in our land anymore. Also, he invited some Wajãpi to go to the Public Federal Ministry to relate what they saw and know about the invaders.
Yesterday, by the end of the afternoon, we received information from the residents of the CTA Village located beside the 210-Highway. About 6 p.m., a young person from that village went to take a bath in the igarapé near the village when he heard someone yelling, “Hey!” behind him. When he turned, he saw a tall and strong man who has big curly hair and beard and was pointing a gun at him. The weapon seemed to be a 12-gauge automatic rifle. Then, the young person became very afraid and went running to the village to call someone to help. Soon later, he came back to the igarapé with five more men. They did not find the invader, but they saw tracks of two people without shoes, each of them walking in different directions. They took photos and made videos of the tracks they saw to show to the police. However, they decided not to follow the tracks because it was growing dark. According to the young person, the man he saw was wearing a black long-sleeved shirt. After receiving that information from the residents of CTA Village, residents of other villages next to the highway organized themselves to watch the section of the highway located inside the Wajãpi Indigenous Land, during the whole night.
Today, in the morning, the residents of CTA found new tracks of two people near the village and let the other Wajãpi communities know. Then, the residents of the villages near the highway organized groups to search for the invaders. They are still searching for them until now.
We, the Wajãpi, want to thank the great support that we are receiving of organizations related to our Indigenous social movement, as APOIANP, COIAB, APIB, AMIM, Hutukara, CIR, FOIRN. As well as the support of the Senator Randolfe Rodrigues, the former Senator João Capiberibe, the federal deputy Joênia Wapixana. Also, the support of partner organizations as Iepé, CIMI, and the support of other civil society organizations as OAB, Associação dos Juízes pela Democracia, Associação Brasileira de Antropologia, Sociedade de Arqueologia Brasileira, Greenpeace, WWF, Rede Eclesiástica Pan Amazônica, and many others. In addition to the UN, the Organization of American States, and people from the whole world.