Alleged massacre of Amazon tribespeople: what really happened? | Dom Phillips | Global development | The Guardian
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Until last year, Costa, 53, sold his catch and prey to the crews of illegal gold dredgers – known as garimpeiros – who used this town as a support base before heading deep into the reserve, sucking up gold from the Jandiatuba River and pumping poisonous mercury into its muddy waters.
Last year, however, Costa was at the centre of an inquiry into the alleged massacre of up to 10 tribespeople from an uncontacted group in the reserve. The case made headlines around the world, and forced the Brazilian government – who had already been alerted about the garimpeiros’ mining activities – into action.
For isolated tribes, the presence of outsiders nearby is potentially fatal, as they have no immunity from even common diseases like flu.
