Three Indigenous leaders killed in Brazil as illegal miners invade village

Brasilia, May 3 (RHC)-- In Brazil, at least three Yanomami Indigenous leaders were killed over the weekend after heavily armed, masked illegal miners stormed a village.  The attack comes as Brazil’s government continues its operation targeting illegal miners in Yanomami territory. 

The efforts were launched by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as part of his campaign to protect the Amazon and Indigenous communities.  Lula has legally recognized six Indigenous territories, a move crucial to protecting Indigenous land from illegal miners and loggers. 

Lula told reporters: "I do not want any Indigenous land to remain undemarcated during my term in office.  It is a commitment I have made and a commitment to you since the campaign. … We cannot allow what happened in the Yanomami lands in the state of Roraima to happen again.  This cannot happen again to any of the Indigenous people.”