Bishops warn of genocide of uncontacted Indians

Bishops and other religious leaders in the Amazonian state of Mato Grosso are warning that uncontacted Indians of the Rio Pardo are 'suffering the imminent threat of genocide'.

In a recently released statement, they demand urgent action from the Brazilian authorities to protect the uncontacted Indians and expel all invaders from the area, and to speed up the mapping and official recognition of the territory.

They accuse the federal government of abandoning other indigenous peoples, including the Enawene Nawe, in Mato Grosso where the state government has placed a moratorium on recognising indigenous peoples' lands.

The statement says the situation is so dire that 'immediate intervention by the Brazilian state' is crucial. Failure to act now risks 'contributing to the ethnocide and genocide of these peoples.'