Then came armed men in green uniforms who proceeded to slaughter members of an Amazon tribe to make way for a major road. Now elderly, Bornaldo described the horrific scene last week during a historic hearing that put a spotlight on Brazil’s military, which denies attacking the tribe. Tribe members and prosecutors said it marked the first time a judge was allowed on Waimiri-Atroari lands to hear witnesses tell of several alleged attacks over the years. Federal prosecutors, who accuse the Brazilian state of genocide in their civil suit, said hundreds, if not thousands, of tribe members died between 1968 and 1977, when highway BR-174 was built. All six tribe members testifying said the aggressions came from the Brazilian army while it oversaw the construction of 75 miles (120 kilometers) across the Waimiri-Atroari reserve.

Source: Washington Post March 08, 2019 05:16 UTC