The government of Brazil sent armed reinforcements to aid a band of activists known as âThe Guardians of the Amazonâ in an ongoing battle against illegal loggers.
The Guardians, who hail from the Guajajara tribe in Brazil, have in recent years taken it upon themselves to defend a portion of the Amazon against loggers, with several members losing their lives in the process, according to tribal rights organization Survival International. The indigenous groupâs latest effort included torching a vehicle belonging to a notorious band of illegal loggers, running them out of the forest and calling on the government for assistance.
The Guardians had previously received little help from the government of Brazil in their efforts, and a senior campaigner for Survival International called the recent intervention a âlandmark momentâ in the fight against deforestation of the Amazon, according to the Thompson Reuters Foundation.
The Guardians have been defending an area known as Arariboia, considered one of the most threatened regions in the Amazon and home to the uncontacted Awa Indians, a small hunter-gatherer community.
