FUNAI Has Insufficient Resources to Demarcate the Kayapo Territory
Folha de S. Paulo
August 5, 2000
FUNAI vice president Dinarte Nobre de Madeiro stated yesterday that the agency does not have enough funds available to carry out the decree by Minister of Justice José Gregori to demarcate the land of the Kayapo Indians of the Baú reservation. Gregori made the decree in response to the hostage situation in which Kayapo Indian warriors took 16 sport fishermen hostage and demanded the immediate demarcation of their land. The hostages were released yesterday morning, but FUNAI now says it does not have the R$ 200 thousand needed to demarcate the 1.85 million hectare territory, claiming only to have R$ 70 thousand available. Furthermore, even if funds are secured from other ministries, the process will be time-consuming and bureaucratic in nature.