Indigenous man murdered in SC lives in region in demarcation conflict, attacked by gunfire twice | Santa Catarina

The Indigenous Missionary Council (Cimi) expressed indignation at the murder of Xokleng indigenous leader, Ariel Paliano, 26 years old, on Saturday (26). He was found dead on the side of the road between Itaiópolis, in the north of the state, and José Boiteux, in the Itajaí Valley.

According to the Council, Paliano’s body was found on Saturday night (26) about 300 meters from the house where he lived with his mother and stepfather, who is the Xokleng leader of Kakupli Village.

According to the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (Apib), the victim was alone in the place as the other residents of the house were in Brasília, participating in acts for the indigenous peoples.

“Ariel’s tragic death highlights the urgency of addressing the issues of demarcation, security and rights of indigenous communities, not only in Santa Catarina, but across the country. This event is yet another grim reminder of the persistent threats faced by indigenous peoples” , informed the entity.

Deputy chief of the community, the young man had injuries to his head and his body was partially burned..

According to community reports, Paliano would have been the victim of an ambushwhen he left home to buy food at a grocery store. The shack where the victim lived with his family was set on fire.

“The approval and promulgation of Law 14701/2023, which makes the time frame effective, and the decision taken by Minister Gilmar Mendes on April 22, which maintained the validity of Law 14701/2023, were understood as a victory for the sectors that oppose the demarcation of the Ibirama La Klãnô TI, resulting in the tightening of the tense environment in the region”, Cimi said in a note.

The Federal Police and Funai were called and headed to the location on Saturday. A PF informed that it will investigate whether the case is related to indigenous conflict. As of Sunday (28), no one had been detained.

The Indigenous Missionary Council (Cimi) expresses deep indignation and sadness over the cruel murder of Hariel Paliano, aged 26, which took place in the Kakupli village, in the interior of the Ibirama La Klãnô Indigenous Land (TI), of the Xokleng people, in Santa Catarina. In addition to the Xokleng, they also live in the indigenous territory of the Guarani and Kaingang peoples, to which Hariel belonged.

The news of Hariel’s murder came by surprise and brought a lot of pain to the Xokleng, Kaingang and Guarani delegation who are still on the road, returning from Brasília, where the indigenous people participated, during the week, in the Acampamento Terra Livre (ATL). While indigenous peoples are in the federal capital mobilized in a democratic and legitimate way in defense of their rights, receiving slowness and treacherous words from the State, in traditional territories violence is rapid, ideological and lethal.

Hariel was found lifeless, with marks of beating and with his body burned, on the banks of the highway that connects the Santa Catarina municipalities of Doutor Pedrinho and Itaiópolis, about 300 meters from the house where he lived with his mother and stepfather, the leader Xokleng from Kakupli Village.

It is a region of conflict over the demarcation of indigenous land. In recent months, the approval and promulgation of Law 14701/2023, which makes the time frame effective, and the decision taken by Minister Gilmar Mendes on April 22, which maintained the validity of Law 14701/2023, were understood as a victory of the sectors that oppose the demarcation of the Ibirama La Klãnô TI, resulting in the tightening of the tense environment in the region.

Therefore, Cimi continues to warn authorities about the disastrous consequences arising from the approval and validity of Law 14701/2023 and the need to create an environment of peace and tranquility in the region.

Cimi expresses its solidarity with Hariel Paliano’s family and members of the Xokleng, Kaingang and Guarani peoples.

And, in this moment of deep pain and administrative and legal insecurities, Cimi vehemently repudiates this heinous crime and demands its immediate investigation, identifying and punishing those responsible.