Hundreds of families being evicted from Indian reserve in Brazil

Friday, March 21, 2014  

The Brazilian government is evicting hundreds of families from an Indian reserve that was set aside for the Awa people.

The reserve was created in 1992. But a judge only recently gave approval for the evictions.

“The process is very slow,” Carlos Travassos, who works for Brazil's Indian affairs department, told The Washington Post.

So far, 263 out of 427 houses have been cleared in the reserve. More than half of the families have accepted land offers elsewhere in the country.

But some say they have been treated unfairly by the government. They also say the land being offered lacks infrastructure and isn't suitable for farming.

Get the Story:
Brazil’s government program to protect a tribe criticized for its treatment of poor farmers (The Washington Post 3/21)