A Quebec photojournalist was attacked in Brazil on Wednesday while preparing a report on the plight of the Kuranis, a tribe in the south of the country that suffers from “extreme violence” by local farmers.
Based in Quebec, Renaud Philippe has traveled frequently to this South American country for two years with his partner, an anthropologist of Brazilian descent, to document the “retomada” phenomenon.
In the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, on the border with Paraguay, where he was at the time of the events, fields of monocultures replaced the Amazon forest as far as the eye could see, as far as the eye could see.
As part of peaceful activities, the latter occupied the fields to assert their ancestral rights. They then faced “extreme violence” from local farmers and their workers, Renaud Philippe testified.
A Quebec photojournalist and his partner, who were reported missing for days after three Guarani who were allegedly abducted during the “Redomada” show, decided to go there Wednesday in hopes of documenting the situation.
hit
On Thursday evening he reached a place he says is “safe”, but whose exact location he wants to be quiet, says Renaud Philippe, who later met with local police officers.
After initially leaving the scene, the group he was part of eventually returned to the scene, with dozens of vans blocking the road. All around, dozens of masked figures with pistols stored in plain sight: local farmers and their workers.
“I’ve worked in many conflict zones, but I’ve rarely seen so much anger,” says the photographer, still shaken by the events.
He is soon beaten by a group until he finds himself on the ground, in the mud. His partner is harassed and threatened. All belongings like cameras, passports and credit cards were emptied from the car of both. “They took everything,” Renaud Philippe said.
“no fair”
Worst of all, he remembers, were the first local police officers he met and who saw him beaten without lifting a finger. The tragedy experienced by the Guranis is an example to others of the lack of consideration by the local authorities.
Contacted by numerous national and international media to testify about his experience, the photojournalist wants to use the opportunity to highlight the fate of these dispossessors of the land of the indigenous people and the inaction of the local police authorities in the matter.
“We want to tell things the way they are. In two years, we have photographed the graves of those who were shot in the back. Justice has not been served,” he condemned.
Having removed his passport, Renaud Philippe indicates that he is in contact with the Canadian Embassy in Brazil. He plans to return to the country soon with his partner.
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