Indigenous 'Guardian Of Amazon Forest' Killed By Illegal Loggers In Brazil

Paulo Paulino Guajajara, a leader of an indigenous tribal group in the Amazon Rain Forest was shot dead, allegedly by illegal loggers.

Paulino, a leader of the Guajajara tribe was hunting inside the Arariboia reservation in Maranhao state on Friday when he was attacked and shot in the head. Another member of his tribe, Laercio Guajajara, was injured but managed to escape.

REUTERS

Paulino's tribe had been leading an indigenous group of forest guardians who have been fighting against the illegal loggers and miners in the rainforest.

The forest guardians were set up by the Guajajaras in 2012 to patrol the Amazon after what allege was the failure of the police to defend them from invasions by outsiders.

AFP

Just a few months back Paulino had told Reuters that protecting the forest from intruders had become a dangerous task, but his people could not give in to fear.

"I'm scared at times, but we have to lift up our heads and act. We are here fighting," he said.

"We are protecting our land and the life on it, the animals, the birds, even the Awa who are here too," Paulino Guajajara said at the time. "There is so much destruction of Nature happening, good trees with wood as hard as steel being cut down and taken away."

"We have to preserve this life for our children's future," he said.

REUTERS

The murder of Paulino comes at a time when the indigenous people are fighting a losing battle against the illegal loggers and miners in Amazon.

Ever since right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro who vowed to open up protected indigenous lands to economic development took office this earlier year there has been an increase in the number of illegal loggers and miners moving into tribal reservations.