Indigenous leaders angry about coronavirus risk from Brazilian military visit
JULY 2, 2020 / 11:30 PM / UPDATED AN HOUR AGO
3 MIN READ
BOA VISTA, Brazil (Reuters) - Leaders of an isolated indigenous Yanomami community in Brazil have complained that a military mission to protect them from the coronavirus brought greater risk of infection to their people through contact with outsiders including journalists.
Federal prosecutors said they were investigating the visit for ignoring the wishes of Yanomami communities to remain isolated from society, violating rules of social distancing and distributing chloroquine to indigenous people.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, soldiers brought medical supplies by helicopter to outposts on the border with Venezuela and assembled Yanomami families to be tested for the novel coronavirus, an outreach effort recorded by a contingent of journalists.
“We don’t want to be used as government propaganda,” said Parana Yanomami. “We don’t want outsiders coming here to take photos of our children. The visit took us by surprise.”
The Yanomami are the last major tribe to live in relative isolation on a vast reservation about the size of the U.S. state of Indiana and have been invaded for decades by gold miners who have brought diseases fatal to their people.
More:
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-brazil-indigenous/indigenous-leaders-angry-about-coronavirus-risk-from-brazilian-military-visit-idUKKBN2440DZ
