The murder of Indigenous leader Emyra Wajãpi by prospectors exposes the danger of President Bolsonaro's support for mining legalization in the Amazon region

Chief Emyra Wajãpi, 68, was killed in 25 of July, in Amapá by prospectors, who later invaded the village, the Indigenous said.

Asked about what happened, President Jair Bolsonaro once again stated that he intends to legalize mining in the country, which includes the liberation of the activity in Indigenous lands. He also said there was no strong evidence that Chief Emyra Wajãpi had been murdered.

However, according to Funai, the Regional Coordination of the National Indian Foundation in Amapá forwarded to the presidency of the body on Saturday in a memorandum reporting on a possible attack on the Waiãpi Indigenous Land, and media reports said it was an invasion of prospectors.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, charged yesterday (July 29) an investigation into the death of Chief Emyra Wajãpi, leader of the Wajãpi ethnic group, whose body was found inside a river in a demarcated area in Amapá.

Experts warn that legalizing mining in Indigenous reserves advocated by the president is risky, as it could put Indigenous populations and the environment at risk. In Brazil, mercury mining contaminates river waters, creating a huge prejudice for the environment. And the contact between prospectors and Indigenous people is marked by a lot of violence.