International
Indigenous Brazilians say attacks continue despite protection order
AFP/Editor
Indigenous Brazilians of the Mundurucu ethnic group on Wednesday said their leaders were attacked following a police operation aimed at kicking out miners squatting on native land in the far northern state of Para.
Brazil’s Supreme Court this week ordered the government to protect members of the Mundurucu and Yanomami indigenous groups who are threatened by wildcat miners in their communities deep in the Amazon rainforest.
“Criminals are terrorizing the leaders of the Mundurucu people for opposing illegal mining,” tweeted Sonia Guajajara, a leader of the Association of Brazil’s Indigenous Peoples (APIB).
“In an act of terrorism they torched the home of (Mundurucu leader) Maria Leusa Kaba and are continuing to threaten other people in reprisal for the Federal Police operation in the region to kick out invaders,” said Guajajara, one of the main spokespeople for indigenous Brazilians.
On Tuesday some 130 federal police agents launched an operation near the town of Jacareacanga against illegal mining in land belonging to the Mundurucu and Sai Cinza people, “fulfilling measures requested by the Federal Supreme Court,” police said in a statement.
Federal Police did not confirm the new attacks that the native groups talked about, but did say that their forces “were surprised by a group of miners protesting the operation that protected indigenous lands.”
The protesting miners tried to destroy police vehicles and equipment, police said, but agents managed to contain the unrest and there were no injuries.
For decades there have been clashes between illegal miners and indigenous Brazilians, but the level of violence has reportedly increased since Jair Bolsonaro — who supports the exploitation of resources in native lands — became president in January 2019.
– Police reinforcements –
Para state Governor Helder Barbalho said Wednesday that he is “worried by the tense situation” and sent police reinforcements from the state capital Belem to join federal agents and to act as mediators.
Illegal gold and diamond mining in the Amazon rainforest is both an environmentally damaging and lucrative business.
Some indigenous Brazilians in the region have joined the invaders and help the miners in their activities and even attacks on rivals, according to local media.
A Supreme Court justice on Monday ruled that the government of Bolsonaro must “immediately adopt all the necessary measures to protect the life, health and security of the indigenous people” living in the Yanomami and Mundurucu territory in the northern Amazon region.
On May 10 the Hutukara Yanomami Association (HAY) reported a clash between Yanomami natives and illegal miners who invaded the community of Palimiu, in Roraima state, with four miners and a Yanomami defender suffering gunshot wounds.
International
El Chapo’s son Joaquín Guzmán López pleads guilty to U.S. drug trafficking charges
Joaquín Guzmán López, one of the sons of notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, pleaded guilty on Monday to drug trafficking charges in a U.S. court, months after his brother Ovidio reached a similar plea agreement, according to local media reports.
The defendant appeared before a federal court in Chicago early Monday afternoon and changed his previous plea in the case, the Chicago Tribune reported. U.S. authorities accuse him of forming, together with his three brothers, the cartel faction known as “Los Chapitos.”
The group is believed to have continued the operations of El Chapo, who has been serving a life sentence in the United States since 2019.
Guzmán López, 39, was arrested after landing in Texas in a small aircraft alongside cartel co-founder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada.
International
Venezuela authorizes return flights as U.S. continues deportations amid rising tensions
The arrival of U.S. aircraft carrying undocumented Venezuelan migrants continued regularly despite rising tensions between Washington and Caracas over President Donald Trump’s military deployment in the Caribbean.
Trump maintains that the deployment is part of an anti-narcotics operation, while Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro insists the true objective is to remove him from power and seize the nation’s oil resources.
Venezuela’s aviation authority has “received a request from the United States government to resume repatriation flights for Venezuelan migrants from that country to Venezuela,” the Ministry of Transportation said in a statement .
“Under the instructions of President Nicolás Maduro, authorization has been granted for these aircraft to enter our airspace,” it added.
Caracas will permit two Eastern Airlines flights to land on Wednesday and Friday.
Migration remains one of the Trump administration’s flagship issues. On Monday, the U.S. president held a meeting with his National Security Council to discuss the situation in Venezuela, a day after confirming he had spoken with Maduro by phone, without offering further details.
According to the Venezuelan government, roughly 75 deportation flights have been carried out this year, returning at least 13,956 Venezuelans from the United States.
International
20,000 rounds stolen from german army after driver leaves cargo unattended
The German army confirmed the theft of a shipment of ammunition that occurred a week ago while it was being transported by a civilian delivery driver, a military spokesperson told AFP, confirming earlier media reports.
According to Der Spiegel and the regional broadcaster MDR, around 20,000 rounds of ammunition were stolen from an unguarded parking lot near Magdeburg, in eastern Germany, while the driver was asleep in a nearby hotel. No information has been released regarding the identity of the suspects, and the military declined to specify the exact type or amount of ammunition taken.
Authorities have also not indicated how the perpetrators knew the cargo would be left unattended.
“The theft was discovered upon delivery at the barracks,” the German army spokesperson said.
A police spokeswoman confirmed to AFP that an investigation has been opened but refused to provide further details “for tactical reasons.”
Sources close to the German military, cited by Der Spiegel, believe it is unlikely the theft was a coincidence. They suspect the thieves waited for the driver to stop for the night before striking.
Der Spiegel also reported that the Defense Ministry normally requires two drivers for this type of transport to ensure the cargo is constantly monitored. However, in this case only one driver was assigned, meaning the civilian transport company failed to comply with the security protocols.
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