Two public servants in Brazil removed after threatening to poison Indigenous people
Brazil’s Indigenous voters helped reelect incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Oct. 25. Following his win, two officials in the municipality of Tacuru, Mato Grosso do Sul, allegedly sent WhatsApp messages threatening to poison the water supply used by the Guarani-Kaiowá Indigenous people. The officials have been suspended; however, activists argue that’s insufficient […]
In Brazil, two public servants in the municipality of Tacuru, Mato Grosso do Sul, have been suspended after threatening to poison the water supply used by the Guarani-Kaiowá Indigenous people. The officials allegedly sent WhatsApp messages suggesting they would “put poison in the water” to kill the Indigenous people, according to reports from the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB) shared on social media.
These threats came shortly after incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won the run-off election on October 25, in which Indigenous voters played a significant role. Matias Benno Rempel, coordinator of the Indigenous Missionary Council (Cimi), emphasized that such threats are not just verbal racism but a concrete reality based on numerous incidents of violence against Indigenous peoples.
The case is currently under investigation by the Federal Police and the Federal Public Ministry (MPF), who suspended the two employees for 20 days and initiated disciplinary proceedings. Activists argue that these measures are insufficient to address the ongoing violence against Indigenous communities.
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