Violence Erupts Over Land Disputes in Brazil's Mato Grosso do Sul

Armed men supported by farmers attacked Indigenous people reclaiming their land in Brazil's Mato Grosso do Sul. Eleven individuals were injured, with five hospitalized due to gunshot and rubber bullet wounds. The incident highlights ongoing violent land disputes, particularly concerning the uncertain legal status of Indigenous land claims.

Armed men, backed by farmers in trucks and tractors, launched an attack on Indigenous people reclaiming their land in Brazil's Mato Grosso do Sul state over the weekend, resulting in 11 injuries, according to government officials and rights groups on Monday. Five of the injured were hospitalized with wounds from gunshots and rubber bullets following the first attack in the Douradina district, as reported by the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs.

The Ministry stated that the Guarani-Kaiowa people are reclaiming land in the Panambi-Lagoa Rica territory, attributing the violence to the uncertain legal status of Indigenous land claims. Police reported that on Sunday night, farmers breached a rope barrier erected by the Indigenous group to demarcate their claimed land and subsequently set fire to their tents.

According to the Indigenous Missionary Council, a rights group associated with the Catholic Church, at least one person was injured by a rubber bullet in Sunday's altercation, and police failed to intervene. The incident underscores the growing frequency of violent land disputes amidst debates over limiting Indigenous claims to ancestral lands in Brazil's Conservative Congress, which is strongly influenced by the farm lobby.

(With inputs from agencies.)