Guaranis-kaiowás: socio-environmental refugees on the border between Brazil and Paraguay

Abstract

This paper aims to discuss the situation of the Guarani-Kaiowá people at the border between Brazil and Paraguay, mainly in what concerns to their situation as socio-environmental refugees. To reach this attempt, at first it has been discussed the history of the Guarani-Kaiowá, especially to show how they got to the actual scenario. After, it has been aborded how the authorities and the major land owners are acting in the intention to destroy this people, by denying access to food, water, enough lands to their ‘way of making and living’ and by poisoning the surrounding environment where they live. The third part discusses the categorization of the conducts before international public law, and the use of ecocide as tool for promote genocide of the Guarani-Kaiowá. In conclusion, it is emphasized that although they are a tenacious people who are still fighting, if there is no intervention in their favor, they will be annihilated in the coming years.

Keywords

• guarani-kaiowá; indigenous peoples; socio-environmental refugees; genocide; brazil-paraguay border.