The first threats occurred in indirectly, in 2010, with the D’zorobabé land was first retaken by the Tuxá. Complaints were filed years later using both direct and indirect information. In the municipality of Gloria, it was discovered that hired assassins were approached by a representative of the city of Rodelas who wanted to kill Indigenous leader Hawaty Arfer Jurum Tuxá.
There was also a telephone threat. During the call, a representative of the Rodelas municipal government, in an attempt to intimidate, said he knew who the leader of the land recovery mobilizations was and that this person would pay.
Someone even warned Hawaty that, if he travelled, that he should switch cars, because they were planning to kill him in an ambush.
Non-Indigenous people asserted in meetings that Hawaty was the “front line” of the mobilization, and that to end the Tuxá movement and the land dispute, “killing the head of the snake, kills the body and, thus, ends the fight.” These meetings had been held since the fight for Volta do Penedo, and intensified with the struggle for the D’zorobabé territory.
“Non-Indigenous people don’t accept that land is an entity, something alive and sacred to our people, and that we will not give it up” ̶ Hawaty Arfer Jurum Tuxá.
Links:
tuxá, Ayrumã Flechiá; mota, Douglas. 2018. Indígenas na Bahia sofrem ameaça de remoção e lutam na justiça. In: CartaCapital. São Paulo, 20 dez. Available at: https://www.cartacapital.com.br/diversidade/indigenas-na-bahia-sofrem-ameaca-de-remocao-e-lutam-na-justica/. Accessed: 10 Nov. 2019.
movimento dos atingidos por barragens. 2018. 490 famílias tuxá do norte da Bahia sofrem risco de remoção de território tradicional. São Paulo, 21 dez. 2018. Available at: https://mab.org.br/2018/12/21/490-fam-lias-tux-do-norte-da-bahia-sofrem-risco-remo-territ-rio-tradicional/#. Accessed: 10 Nov. 2019.