By Patrick Vanderpool
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

BRASILIA. Brazil – An indigenous rights organization has released what it says are photos of an uncontacted tribe in Brazil that is threatened by the logging across the border. Survival International, the group responsible for the photographs, released them in hopes that it would draw public attention to the illegal logging activities that threaten the tribe’s land.

The photographs show members of an uncontacted Brazilian tribe that is likely to get drawn into conflicts with Peruvian tribes who are fleeing their homes because of the logging. One photo shows five tribe members, some in red tribal paint, standing in front of a hut and looking upward. One man is holding a bow, and another, younger person, holds a machete. Foods including bananas, papayas and cassava can be identified near the tribe members.

In a written statement, Stephen Curry, a Survival International Director, stated that “the illegal loggers will destroy this tribe.”  “It’s vital that the Peruvian government stop them before time runs out. The people in these photos are self-evidently healthy and thriving. What they need from us is their territory protected, so that they can make their own choices about their future.”

Loggers in Peru are forcing indigenous tribes from Peru into Brazil, where, according to Survival International, “the two groups are likely to come into conflict.” Several nongovernmental organizations have urged Peru to act against the logging for years, but those groups have say that not enough had been done yet.

For years, Peruvian officials have denied the existence of these indigenous peoples while they continue to allow exploration of the lands for resources. One advocate for indigenous tribes stated that the publication of these photos “is necessary to reaffirm that these peoples exist, so we support the use of images that prove these facts.”

For more information, please see:

New York Times – Isolated Amazon Tribe Threatened by Logging, Group Says – 13 February 2011

Boston Globe – Uncontacted Tribes in the Amazon – 12 February 2011

CNN – Group Releases Photos on Uncontacted Tribe to Raise Awareness – 1 February 2011

By Patrick Vanderpool
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

Buenos Aires, Argentina – Argentine Government officials admitted to an increased number of deaths among the country’s poor of indigenous people due to malnutrition and  promised government action to minimize the problem. Reports of malnutrition deaths stemmed from a joint study conducted by London’s Imperial College and the University of Harvard in Boston showing that Argentina, Chile and Venezuela topped the list of overweight people in Latin America.

The Argentine Government has faced criticism for not doing enough to ease poverty among the country’s non-European population. Critics of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner earlier called for more vigorous measures to pursue the government’s poverty reduction programs.

Jose Manuel Urtubey, Governor of the northern province of Salta, said in a television interview that at least five children had died of malnutrition in 2010 and officials recorded another death this year. According to Urtubey, most of these deaths are of indigenous children. The governor warned that more malnutrition cases might be present in isolated indigenous communities that may not have extensive contact with individuals or organizations outside of their group.

Fatalities included an 18-month-old toddler and a 3-year old female child; both of whose deaths were initially attributed to infections. A third case of another 18-month-old toddler, reported to have died due to “septic shock caused by malnutrition,” brought great attention on malnutrition deaths.

The Argentine media was in an uproar after learning of the deaths. The Salta and Buenos Aires media quoted the father of one of the toddlers, who said he lost his child on a day when he returned from work in the woods to find there was nothing at hand that he could feed the children. According to the father, “there are some days when we manage to have a meal to eat and days when we don’t…on that day we had nothing to eat.”

For more information, please see:

Spero News – Argentina: Missionaries Address Malnutrition and Sexual Abuse of Children – 7 February 2011

UPI – Argentina Admits to Malnutrition Deaths Among the Poor – 7 February 2011

Merco Press – Argentine Aborigine Children Die of Malnutrition and Poor Sanitary Conditions – 6 February 2011

By R. Renee Yaworsky
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

EASTER ISLAND, Chile—On Sunday, police officers raided a luxury hotel on Easter Island to evict indigenous individuals who had been occupying the building.  The occupants have been protesting the loss of their ancestral lands on Easter Island to tourists and other non-indigenous residents who visit the island to view its famous ancient monolith statues.

Chilean police drove the last of dozens of indigenous Rapa Nui protesters from the Hangaroa Eco Village and Spa hotel, one of the last strongholds captured by them in protest last year.  Members of the Hitorangi clan have remained on the grounds since August of last year and insist that the property was illegally taken from their illiterate grandmother.  They claim that the notoriously cruel dictator General Augusto Pinochet illegitimately sold their grandmother’s land to the Schiess family.  The protesters also argue that there are plans to develop Easter Island to cater to non-indigenous people, and their ancestral lands will be lost.

The police raid on the hotel came just two days before the protesters were scheduled to go to court and discuss ownership of the property.

According to Rodrigo Gomez, the protesters’ lawyer, about 50 armed police officers raided the hotel in order to oust the last 5 inhabitants.  Gomez called the incident “utterly irregular and illegal.”  The Save Rapa Nui website has reported that a Chilean judge had previously refused to allow police to evict the hotel’s occupants.

Last December, over 20 people were wounded by pellet guns shot by police as they tried to scatter Rapa Nui protesters.  Last month, James Anaya of the United Nations spoke out in defense of the Rapa Nui, asking Chile’s government to “make every effort to conduct a dialogue in good faith with representatives of the Rapa Nui people to solve, as soon as possible, the real underlying problems that explain the current situation.”

The Rapa Nui protesters who were squatting in the hotel were arrested by police and then let go to await a court hearing.

Easter Island (officially called Rapa Nui) is a Unesco World Heritage Site and was annexed by Chile in 1888.  It has a population of approximately 4,000.

For more information, please see:

Today Online-Police evict last of Easter Island protesters-7 February 2011

BBC-Police evict Rapa Nui clan from Easter Island hotel-6 February 2011

Herald Sun-Easter Island squatters evicted-6 February 2011

By R. Renee Yaworsky
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

CARACAS, Venezuela—After spending a year behind bars, a Venezuelan judge has been granted house arrest by a Venezuelan court.  The judge’s imprisonment and sentence have been harshly criticized by human rights defenders, who consider her a political prisoner.  She has only been released from prison now because she has cancer and needs treatment.  Originally, President Hugo Chavez had called for the judge to serve the maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.

Maria Lourdes Afiuni, the judge, was imprisoned back in December of 2009 and faced charges stemming from her decision to free a banker who later jumped bail and absconded to the United States.  The banker, Eligio Cedeno, had been accused of breaking currency controls.  Afiuni was charged with abusing her authority.

Jose Amalio Graterol, Afiuni’s attorney, commented on the court’s decision last week to transition the judge from imprisonment to house arrest.  Graterol expressed his opinion that the change is a step in the right direction because he intends to prove that Afiuni is not guilty of any crime.  Graterol told Globovision, a television station in Venezuela with a reputation for opposing President Chavez, that Afiuni is being given house arrest so she can receive a hysterectomy and recover from surgery.   “They realized they were carrying out a death sentence against her,” the attorney said, referring to the judge’s poor health.

Human rights groups have said that the judge’s case sheds light on problems regarding the independence of Venezuela’s judiciary.  The Government, however, argues that her detention is the result of suspicions concerning Cedeno (the fleeing banker).

Afiuni has defended herself by stating that she acted lawfully by releasing Cedeno because he had been imprisoned for three years without a trial, which exceeds the legal limit.  Opponents of President Chavez regard Afiuni as a political prisoner and count her case as just one of several where the Government has overruled sound judicial procedure.

For more information, please see:

Today Online-Venezuelan court grants jailed judge house arrest-3 February 2011

BBC-Venezuela judge Maria Afiuni moved to house arrest-2 February 2011

El Universal-Attorney General officially requests house arrest for Judge Afiuni-2 February 2011

By Patrick Vanderpool
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

BRASILIA, Brazil – Last week, environmentalists and indigenous people adamantly rejected the Brazilian government’s decision allowing work to begin on a giant hydroelectric dam. The project will proceed while the state prosecutor filed an appeal to suspend the ruling.

Brazil’s environmental agency approved “necessary infrastructure” for the controversial $15-billion Belo Monte dam, which is set to become the third-largest in the world. This initial ruling authorizes Norte Energia to destroy 600 acres of forest and build roads to the Xingu River in the northeast Brazilian state of Para.

Sixty civic groups and non-governmental organizations representing everyone from environmentalists to local peasants have formed a coalition called “Xingu Lives Forever.” In a recent statement responding to the ruling, Xingu Lives Forever called this a “dictatorial act.” The group also added that they were “going to continue opposing this project with all our might.”

Opponents of the dam claim that it is “not economically viable” and that the dam’s construction will displace up to 30,000 people because of the planned flooding on the banks of the Xingu River. Other critics of the project say only a small proportion of the electricity to be generated by the dam will meet residential needs, while the bulk will go toward industrial and mining development, also likely to spread environmental damage in the area.

Philip Fearnside of the National Amazon Research Institute said that the forests flooded by the dam’s reservoirs will generate enormous qualities of methane, a greenhouse gas estimated to be 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

State prosecutor Felicio Pontes filed an appeal, arguing that agreed-upon conditions have not been met, particularly concerning the rehabilitation of degraded zones.

In a statement to the public, Pontes said “[d]ue to decisions like this, we can say today, (the environmental agency) is the author of the worst offense against the environment in the Amazon.” The federal government says Belo Monte is vital to the economic development of the country and claims that no native land is threatened. The state has also claimed that it is spending millions of dollars to offset the social and environmental impacts of the dam.

For more information, please see:

United Press International – Brazil Going Ahead with “Monster Dam” – 31 January 2011

AFP – Brazil Dam Go-Ahead Sparks Anger – 28 January 2011

Yahoo News – Brazil Green Lights Amazon Dam in Disregard for Environmental Laws and Local Opposition – 27 January 2011