This month, four Avá-Guarani indigenous people, including a child, a teenager and two adults, were shot during an attack in a land dispute area in Guaíra, in western Paraná. The Yvy Okaju indigenous community, which is located 5 km from the city center and the headquarters of the Federal Police (PF), was attacked by surprise gunmen in the region between Guaíra and Terra Roxa. In support of the Avá-Guarani people, this past Saturday, January 18, the National Secretariat for Peoples, Traditional Communities and Social Policy (SEPOCS) of CONAFER donated basic food baskets to the indigenous people of Paraná. The Confederation stands in solidarity with the Avá-Guarani people, who have been the target of constant attacks since December 2024, and despises any act of violence against the native peoples.
On January 3, after being surrounded by armed men, a 7-year-old child, a 14-year-old teenager and two other indigenous people aged 25 and 28 were shot and taken to the Bom Jesus de Toledo Hospital. During the attacks, the child was wounded in the leg. One indigenous person was shot in the back, one of the members was hit in the leg and the other had his jaw pierced by a bullet. According to Avá-Guarani indigenous leaders, one victim is still hospitalized and another who was shot has lost movement.
After this series of extreme violence, which did not spare even indigenous children, CONAFER's National Secretariat for Peoples, Traditional Communities and Social Policy (SEPOCS) mobilized to support the Avá-Guarani people in this difficult time by donating 92 basic food baskets and 15 bags of drinking water. SEPOCS employees entered the territory escorted by the National Force and delivered the donations to the Yhovy village in Guaíra, Paraná, which has a population of 2 people. In total, 132 families benefited.
With the aim of facilitating quality food among Avá-Guarani families and providing support during this difficult time, the basic food baskets donated included non-perishable and essential foods such as rice, beans, flour, coffee, sugar, milk and eggs. Basic hygiene items and water containers were also distributed to the indigenous community. The idea is that the National Secretariat for Peoples, Traditional Communities and Social Policy will continue to monitor and support the Yvy Okaju indigenous community not only through food donations, but also with other CONAFER benefits and programs that promote the rights of indigenous peoples, such as health and education in the villages.
SEPOCS employees deliver 92 basic food baskets to the Avá-Guarani people of Paraná
The donations from CONAFER’s SEPOCS, in partnership with the Land and Labor Institute (ITT) and the National Indigenous Union (UNI), were delivered to the indigenous leader of the Avá-Guarani people, Lina, who shared about the current situation in the village: “I want to thank CONAFER very much for the visit and support. We are in a very difficult and vulnerable situation, but even so, we are here in the fight and we will continue to be strong and firm, despite all this violence, despite all these plots.”
Check out the full video of the testimony:
Indigenous lives depend on urgent demarcation
According to indigenous leaders, these attacks on the Tekoha Guasu Guavirá Indigenous Land, located between the municipalities of Guaíra and Terra Roxa, in western Paraná, have been motivated by the lack of demarcation of lands in the area, due to the awaiting of a final decision by the Court, in which the Federal Supreme Court (STF) discusses the demarcation of indigenous lands, even after the STF itself declared the unconstitutionality of the temporal framework in 2023. After the delimitation by Funai, the demarcation process was interrupted by an action by the city governments of Guaíra and Terra Roxa, which was accepted in the first instance by the Federal Court. The continuation of the regularization of the territory now depends on a final decision by the Court in the higher courts.
Until the demarcation of indigenous lands is resolved by the courts, scenes like the attack on the Avá-Guarani on January 3rd are likely to repeat themselves – Photo: CIMI/ Disclosure
However, this decision is on hold until the Supreme Federal Court (STF) rules on the time frame. This thesis argues that only lands occupied by indigenous peoples up until October 5, 1988, the date the Constitution was enacted, can be demarcated. While indigenous peoples await recognition of their rights and their original lands, villages remain under constant threat and their lives are at risk, since gunmen take advantage of the justification of the time frame and believe they have the right to fight for lands with violence, without sparing even indigenous children, as occurred in this latest attack in Paraná.
Indigenous children from Paraná demonstrate against the time frame – Photo: Cacique Fernando Lopes, Tekoha Pyahu
The attacks on the Avá-Guarani people demonstrate once again how damaging the inconsistency of a thesis that has been discussed for years is, and that should have already been concluded with the Supreme Court's ruling in 2023. This slow process directly harms Brazilian indigenous people, who are demanding their original and rightful lands, ancestral territories that were occupied long before 1500, when colonizers arrived in Brazil. This scenario shaped by uncertainty puts the lives of indigenous people at risk, opens the door to acts of violence against native peoples, and continues to cause anguish for villages throughout the country.
By donating basic food baskets to the Avá-Guarani people, victims of attacks over land disputes in Paraná, CONAFER's National Secretariat for Peoples, Traditional Communities and Social Policy demonstrates the Confederation's commitment to supporting indigenous peoples in difficult times and defending their rights. In an effort to reduce violence against indigenous peoples, CONAFER promotes human rights courses in villages and defends the ancestral framework against the unconstitutionality of the temporal framework.
