Venezuela: Indigenous organizations denounce another serious massacre of indigenous Yanomami by illegal Brazilian miners

Following a recent investigation carried out by the indigenous organization, Horonami, other indigenous organizations in the Venezuelan State of Amazonas have issued a joint statement denouncing a massacre of Yanomami indigenous people in the headwaters of the Ocamo river in the Upper Orinoco. The massacre is alleged to have been perpetrated by Brazilian miners who illegally crossed the border into this remote, forested, upland area. Survivors of the massacre, which may have occurred as early as July 2012, apparently only reached the highland mission station in the Parima, situated some days trek to the south, in mid-August. The survivors' claims were then investigated by the indigenous organization, Horonami, and reported to the public this week. The problem of illegal incursions by Brazilian miners into the territory of the Venezuelan Yanomami has been going on sporadically since the mid-1960s and has led to repeated epidemics and outbreaks of violence. A similar massacre in the community of Haximu in 1993 led to international investigations and the conviction of several miners in the Brazilian courts. The full details of this latest massacre are not yet available but the initial report implies many more Yanomami were killed in this instance.

Read the joint statement of indigenous organizations in the Venezuelan States of Amazonas (COIAM) in Spanish or in English.

UPDATE - 3 September 2012

Indigenous peoples' organizations in Venezuela welcome the official investigation of the alleged massacre but request on the ground visits to the site of the incident. For more information read the second statement from COIAM here (in Spanish only).

UPDATE - 4 September 2012

The Working Group on Indigenous Affairs of the University of the Andes in Venezuela has issued a statement on the alleged massacre (Spanish only).