By Laura Benitez | The Argentina Independent | June 2, 2013
Indigenous groups have re-occupied farm land in Mato Grosso do Sul, South of Brazil, after being evicted on Thursday.
The groups are claiming ownership over part of the farm as they say it forms part of their ancestral lands.
The groups have occupied the land, which is owned by a local politician, Ricardo Bacha, for over two weeks. During the eviction process on Thursday, one of the group members, Osiel Abriel was shot and killed by police.
According to press reports, police officers have claimed that the group became violent during Thursday’s eviction process.
Brazil’s justice minister José Eduardo Cardozo, has called an investigation into the death of Abriel which will determine if an excessive and unnecessary use of force and firearms were used.
“We will very accurately determine what happened. If there were abuses, those responsible will be punished, “he said.
On Friday, 250 people from the group returned back to the farm to re-occupy the land.
Local media have said that although the situation continues to be “tense”, there has been no violence since the re-occupation on Friday.
Related article
- Argentina: Violent Eviction of Indigenous Community Deemed Illegal (alethonews.wordpress.com)