Indigenous communities at risk of “genocide” with Covid-19 outbreak

researcher and doctor at the Federal University of São Paulo <a href="https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/brasil">told</a> <em>BBC Brasil</em> that there is an incredible risk of Covid-19 spreading to indigenous communities. And if it does, &#8220;it could cause a genocide,&#8221; she remarked.</p> <p>One of the key points of concern is the Amazonian region known as the Vale do Javari, Brazil&#8217;s largest <a href="https://brazilian.report/environment/2020/01/29/why-indigenous-lands-are-pivotal-against-climate-change/">indigenous territory</a> which is also home to the biggest concentration of previously <a href="https://brazilian.report/society/2017/10/11/brazil-indigenous-tribes/">uncontacted communities</a> in the world. The Brazilian government recognizes the existence of 19 such isolated tribes in the area — which indigenous rights activists refer to as &#8220;free peoples&#8221; — but there are expected to be far more living in the 85,444.82 square-kilometer expanse to the Northwest of Brazil.</p> <p>Beyond the free peoples, there are another seven indigenous communities in the region, including groups from the Marubo, Matsés, Korubo, and Kanamari ethnicities.&nbsp;</p> <h2>Suspected cases?</h2> <p>Indigenous activists and citizens of the Vale do Javari are on edge since <em>Amazônia Real </em>reported a suspected case of coronavirus in a male member of the Marubo community on Monday, but community leaders assured <strong>The Brazilian Report</strong> that the rumors were false.</p> <p>&#8220;When he saw that his name was being spread around on social media as a suspected coronavirus case, he was already at home, celebrating his daughter&#8217;s birthday,&#8221; explained Lucas Marubo, a member of the indigenous community and coordinator of the Union of Indigenous Peoples of the Vale do Javari (Univaja).</p> <p>&#8220;He went to the hospital for medicine because he has a tumor on his leg and had developed a fever. After he left the hospital, this rumor of a suspected coronavirus case spread all over WhatsApp,&#8221; Lucas Marubo told <strong>The Brazilian Report</strong>. &#8220;But he is well, he came by my house today.&#8221;&nbsp;</p> <p>The Univaja coordinator stressed however that they are ready to fight the disease in whatever way they can. &#8220;If we find a case in the indigenous village, we have a helicopter to remove patients,&#8221; he said.</p> <h2>Government actions to protect indigenous populations</h2> <p>In usual circumstances, there is significant movement between the indigenous villages and Atalaia do Norte — the biggest city in the Vale do Javari. Youngsters are bussed into town to go to school and health workers carry out vaccinations and check-ups in the villages.</p> <p>However, as a preventive measure against the coronavirus pandemic, Brazil&#8217;s indigenous affairs agency Funai has ordered all activities with contacted and isolated communities to be suspended for the next 15 days.</p> <p>Indigenous people have been urged not to move around the territory, and all students have been sent back to their villages, only expected to return next year.</p> <p>Lucas Marubo explains that teachers and care workers already living in the indigenous communities will be able to continue their activities, but that Funai has all but ground to a halt in the region.