In a new attack on the natives of Brazil, four people were shot by Reuters

SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Four indigenous people, including a child, were shot dead in an attack in southern Brazil late on Friday, federal police and an indigenous rights group said on Saturday, as violence in the region escalated.

Assailants opened fire on an indigenous community near the town of Guaira in southern Paraná state, injuring four people and later hospitalized, police said.

The attack was aimed at the Ava Guarani people, who have been the target of previous attacks since December 29, said the Council of Missionaries to Indigenous Peoples (CIMI), an organization affiliated with Brazil’s Catholic Bishops’ Conference.

A four-year-old child was shot in the leg and sent to a nearby hospital in the city of Toledo, along with two other people, one in the leg and one in the back, CIMI said.

According to the official, a fourth person was shot in the jaw and sent to a hospital in Kakavel, one of the largest cities in the state.

The police announced that they have launched an investigation to track down the criminals who committed the attack, and announced that federal, state and municipal security forces have been deployed to prevent new attacks that have historically seen land conflicts in the region.

In the final days of 2024, two members of the Ava Gurani population were injured, CIMI said, one of whom was shot in the arm.

The Ministry of Indigenous Affairs of the region has condemned the violence against the people of Awa Gurani, and is in talks with the Ministry of Justice and Public Security for an immediate investigation of armed groups operating in the region.