A study carried out by the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (Coiab) in partnership with Hivos in the framework of the All Eyes on the Amazon program, calls attention to the situation of vulnerability of Indigenous peoples in the state of Maranhão. The report entitled “Indigenous Peoples and Access to the Justice System in Maranhão” reveals that most cases of murders against Indigenous people that occurred from 2003 to 2019 remain unresolved by the judiciary and are linked to land conflicts.
The research that had the support of APIB (Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil), COAPIMA (Coordination of Organizations and Articulations of Indigenous Peoples of Maranhão) and Greenpeace Brasil, also denounces the existence of possible murders of Indigenous people that do not even figure legally, and, for this reason, are not reported as murders.
Disrespect for indigenous rights and the lack of access to the justice system accentuate inequality and reinforce a stigmatizing narrative, with serious consequences that make it difficult to enforce the rights of Indigenous peoples in Maranhão.
