Resolution on the situation of the Guarani-Kaiowá in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul

The European Parliament adopted a resolution on the situation of the Guarani-Kaiowá in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul.

The resolution was tabled by the EPP, S&D, ECR, ALDE, Greens/EFA, GUE/NGL and EFDD groups.

Members recalled that according to official data from the Special Secretariat of Indigenous Health (SESAI) and the indigenous health district of Mato Grosso do Sul (DSEI-MS) on the murder of indigenous Guarani-Kaiowá in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, over the past 14 years at least 400 indigenous people and 14 indigenous leaders have been murdered, including Simiao Vilharva and Clodiodi de Souza, in their attempts to reclaim their ancestral lands in peaceful protests.

Members strongly condemned the violence perpetrated against the indigenous communities of Brazil, and deplored the poverty and human rights situation of the Guarani-Kaiowá population in Mato Grosso do Sul.

They called on the Brazilian authorities to take immediate action to protect indigenous people’s security and to ensure that independent investigations are carried out into the murder and assault of indigenous people.

Reminding the Brazilian authorities of their responsibilities in terms of applying in full the provisions of the Brazilian Constitution on the protection of individual rights and on the rights of minorities with respect to the Guarani-Kaiowá population, and also of their obligation to observe international human rights standards with respect to indigenous peoples, Members called on the Brazilian authorities to develop a working plan to prioritise completion of the demarcation of all territories claimed by the Guarani-Kaiowá and to create the technical operational conditions for this purpose.

Lastly, Parliament recommended that the Brazilian authorities provide a sufficient budget for FUNAI’s work, and strengthen it with the resources required to provide the core services on which indigenous peoples rely.