• In January, two leaders of the Indigenous Pataxó Hãhãhãi community of Bahia State in Brazil were brutally attacked by a militia calling for a ‘repossession’ of their land, as police officers allegedly watched.
• One was killed and the other badly injured in the attack, leading to calls from the community and rights advocates for police to be withdrawn from the territory and for the governor to take protective action.
• “Who is at the helm of public security forces in the southern, southwestern, and far southern regions of Bahia? Who orchestrates and steers operations of the military police in this area?” a new op-ed says in asking for a thorough investigation.
• This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily Mongabay.

Echoing the harrowing imagery of a Ku Klux Klan onslaught, a chilling episode unfolded on Sunday, January 21, showcasing the brutal reality of Brazil’s rural hinterland. In Bahia, two Indigenous people were thrown to the ground and surrounded by ranchers. One, a man wearing a traditional headdress; the other, a woman brandishing a maraca. The man was Chief Nailton Muniz, a prominent political leader of the Pataxó Hãhãhãi people. The woman was his sister, Maria de Fátima Muniz, known as Nega Pataxó, a shaman, vocalist and spiritual guide of her people. While Naílton sustained grave injuries, the tragedy caused the death of Nega Pataxó.

Both had been wounded by gunfire and, along with other Indigenous community members, were viciously assaulted by a ruralist mob, calling themselves “Zero Invasion.”

The spectacle of violence was orchestrated via social media. The preceding day saw the proliferation of a message, emblazoned with the movement’s insignia, across WhatsApp networks and groups. It was a rallying cry for what they termed the “repossession” of a farm, which had been occupied by Indigenous people that very day.

In light of these events, we ask the following questions; Who is at the helm of public security forces in the southern, southwestern, and far southern regions of Bahia? Who orchestrates and steers operations of the military police in this area? This situation is further complicated by the presence of armed civilian groups, evidently backed by police authority.

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