Brazilian Indigenous
Groups Block Roads,
Demanding Health Care
Some 400 people blocked
two main highways in the
southern Brazilian state
of Parana to demand the
resumption of medical
care services, local
media reported
Wednesday.
The protesters, who were
members of indigenous
groups Caingangue and Guarani, used trucks and
buses to block the roads
BR-373 and BR-277. Only
ambulances were allowed
to pass through the
barrier.
They requested funds for
transporting sick
members of their tribes
to hospitals in the
region. Under an
agreement with the
government, 35 vehicles
and 120 drivers are
needed, with a total of
327,000 reais (199,400
U.S. dollars) is to be
allocated.
Meanwhile, about 40
protestors had been
occupying the National
Health Foundation's
headquarters in the
state's capital Curitiba
for more than 48 hours.
Vinicius Reali, the
local coordinator of the
foundation, was sent to
Brasilia to negotiate
the implementation of
the agreement, together
with representatives of
the indigenous groups.
He said the funds for
the medical care
services had been cut,
leading to a worsening
of the plight of the
indigenous population in
Parana, where some
13,000 native Brazilians
live
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