Leaders of the Arapuá community were surprised on Tuesday night (28), with arson on the bridge known as "matamatá" that gives access to the community. The fact occurred around 7 pm, when leaders returned from a hearing at the Federal Public Ministry (MPF), where they dealt with health, education and energy.
Upon returning, the leaders found the bridge burning, as reported to the general coordination, legal counsel and the Georeferencing System (SIG) team of the Indigenous Council of Roraima (CIR), which was at the site on Wednesday, 29.
The action takes place in the midst of the agreement between the MPF and the National Foundation of Indigenous Peoples (Funai), to start the process of demarcation of the Arapuá indigenous land. In the agreement, Funai was to expedite the identification and delimitation studies of the Arapuá Indigenous Land, within the deadline until April 2024.
Meanwhile, the leaders fear more violence and threats as a result of this decision favorable to the community.
"We were returning from the hearing, when we saw the bridge on fire, it scared us, but, together with the brothers who were going to worship and some residents of the community, we put out the fire. It took two hours to put everything out," the leaders reported.
As the only means of coming and going for residents, especially children, who use school transport, they may be harmed. Surrounded by farms, another concern is the safety of the leaders.
"We think that this is a way to intimidate us, to put fear, since they do not accept the demarcation of our land, but, in conversation with everyone, we pointed out that until the demarcation, this and other things can happen and we will be prepared for it, firm and strong" – they said, when reporting the fact.
With the information collected in loco, the advisory will produce a report and forward it to the competent authorities.
"The residents reported the case to the CIR, just yesterday, because they believe it to be a criminal act, because the community is in the process of retaking traditional territory, and this is a reaction, making access to the community difficult" – commented the legal advisor, Ivo Makuxi.
The place is about to host two state events, the Extraordinary Assembly and the II Expanded Deliberative of the CIR, from December 3 to 8.