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.

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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.

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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.

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International

Erin brings strong winds and storm surge despite weakening offshore

Hurricane Erin weakened to a Category 2 storm on Tuesday but continues to pose a threat to parts of the U.S. East Coast with potentially dangerous flooding, according to meteorologists.

Although the hurricane’s eye is expected to remain offshore, experts are concerned about Erin’s size, as strong winds extend hundreds of kilometers beyond the storm’s center.

In its 18:00 GMT bulletin, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) lifted tropical storm warnings for the Bahamasand Turks and Caicos Islands, but kept them in effect for parts of North Carolina.

Erin was located several hundred kilometers southeast of North Carolina and was moving northwestward.

“This means there is a risk of potentially life-threatening flooding of 60 to 120 centimeters above ground level,” said NHC Director Michael Brennan.

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He also warned of the possibility of destructive waves, combined with storm surge, that could cause severe damage to beaches and coastal areas, making roads impassable.

International

Three U.S. Warships deploy near Venezuela to combat drug trafficking

Three U.S. naval vessels are moving toward the coasts of Venezuela, according to international media reports on Tuesday, after White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt confirmed that President Donald Trump is ready to combat and curb international drug trafficking.

Reports indicate that the ships will reach Venezuelan waters within the next 36 hours as part of a recent U.S. deployment aimed at countering international narcotics operations.

The announcement coincides with Leavitt’s statement that Trump is prepared to “use the full extent of his power” to halt drug flows into the United States. The naval deployment involves approximately 4,000 military personnel.

“The President has been clear and consistent. He is ready to use every element of U.S. power to prevent drugs from flooding our country and to bring those responsible to justice. The Maduro regime is not the legitimate government of Venezuela—it is a narco-terror cartel,” the spokesperson said during a press conference.

International

Cuban authorities free salvadoran convicted in 1997 hotel bombing

Salvadoran national Otto René Rodríguez Llerena was released after serving a 30-year prison sentence for his involvement in a terrorist attack at a hotel in Cuba in 1997, the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.

During his trial, Rodríguez Llerena admitted to placing an explosive device at the Meliá Cohiba Hotel under the orders of anti-Castro exile leaders. He was arrested the following year when he returned to Havana with another load of explosives that failed to detonate.

“The Cuban government reiterates its commitment to combating terrorism, respecting human rights, and the need for the international community to hold accountable those who promote such acts,” the statement read.

He was released on August 15 and is the second Salvadoran to complete his sentence. In December of last year, another Salvadoran, Ernesto Cruz León, was released after planting bombs at tourist centers, one of which killed an Italian tourist identified as Fabio Di Celmo.

A third Salvadoran, Francisco Chávez Abarca, also received a 30-year sentence from Cuban courts in 2010 after being extradited from Venezuela through Interpol for actions against Cuba.

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Rodríguez Llerena had requested conditional release in 2016, arguing that his actions had not caused any direct fatalities, but no further information was released about his situation until now.