Indigenous communities of the Caura river denounce the murder of two indigenous people in the “Bullita” mine, located in Salto La Puerta, at the confluence of Yuruaní with Caura rivers.
Members of the Caura Indigenous Guard reported that on Wednesday morning they were ambushed while sleeping by armed groups linked to illegal mining in the area.
After the attack, the yekuana Cristian Flores and Franke Sarmiento were killed. A third person also died in the ambush, an informal worker in the area.
According to the account of the guard members who managed to escape, the group of armed men arrived in the area and shot, without warning.
Before this attack, the mining group had summoned the leaders of the Yekuana community to a meeting at the “Bullita” mine, an invitation that was rejected by the chiefs the night before the attack.
The leaders of the indigenous communities of the Caura river are meeting and reviewing the actions to be taken.
In early April, Sanema and Yekuana indigenous people from 53 communities along the Caura and Erebato rivers came out in defense of their territories and their people, demanding the armed groups to leave.
Through a video, the leaders of the indigenous communities denounced being victims of abuses and violence by the armed groups operating in their ancestral territories.
Based on article 20 of the Law on Indigenous Peoples and Communities, under which the State “recognizes and guarantees the indigenous peoples and communities’ original rights over their habitat and the lands that they ancestrally and traditionally occupy”, they requested the retreat of the armed groups that have been operating in the area for 7 years.
Once again, it is evident the risk that these violent groups pose to the indigenous communities and their territories.
