Tired of facing invasions in their traditional territory,
the Mbya Guarani people decided to act to take back their lands.
In the early morning of April 30, they destroyed the fences and shacks of invaders
in the Pindo Poty tekoa, in Lami, South of Porto Alege.
Since then, they have been camping at the site, to protect it from further invasions.
We were able to mobilize people from the entire Guarani territory,
from Rio Grande do Sul to Espírito Santo.
It is something extraordinary that is happening.
In our culture it is like this, right?
Walking from one place to another...
to support this and to do that, right?
This also strengthens our spirit.
The other aspect that I start to think as positive
is that we start to bring visibility to the fight here in the region.
Only a few families live here.
They are older people, right, who live here, there are not many young people.
They speak mostly in the Guarani language.
They also have a little difficulty expressing themselves...
making demands.
The Public Prosecutor's office came
and was terrified by the scale of the invasion.
The prosecutor has already set everything in motion.
We have already talked twice.
We had the hearing on Wednesday.
So, we are still waiting a little bit, right?
We are calm because he came here.
The invaders saw it for sure.
So they're already aware that people are supporting us.
But so far we don't have anything concrete.
Not even the land repossession.
In fact, the biggest demand that we
are making today is directed at FUNAI (National Indian Foundation).
Because FUNAI has not even brought the map
of the boundaries of the indigenous land
to the leadership, to the cacique here in the village.
The cacique knows where that is.
Because he was involved in the process.
But if he goes to the Public Ministry, for example,
and the Public Ministry says, "Where are the borders?"
And then he says, "No, the border is this way, this way, this way."
The cacique knows by heart.
But they say: "Okay, don't you have the map?"
And he doesn't have it, because FUNAI didn't give it to him.
The strongest demand, I think, has to be towards FUNAI.
For FUNAI to proceed with the land demarcation,
to give feedback to the community.
Especially the map, right?
Because this leaves it very vague, open,
so that these invasions can happen.
A very bad, very sad thing is happening in Brazil today.
FUNAI is denouncing the indigenous movement,
mainly the APIB (Network of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil).
They are criminalizing the leaders.
There's a saying that the indigenous movement is not me, it's not him.
It is all of us.
All the indigenous people are the indigenous movement.
And then this indigenous person is fighting back, everything that they do...
They criminalize those leaders.
They put the Federal Police on them.
They put them to investigate.
They create lawsuits against them.
I always say: "This government is so crooked,
that besides stealing our lands, our rights,
they come to take something that we fought for and won
to try to rule over us.
To take away our rights.
Because FUNAI, SESAI, are agencies that were created as a result of the indigenous struggle.