Fighting the invisible anaconda amidst a war of conquest: notes of a genocide

Lutando contra a sucuri invisível em meio a uma guerra de conquista: apontamentos de um genocídio

Luchando contra la anaconda invisible en medio de una guerra de conquista: notas de un genocidio

Abstract

The conquest of indigenous territories and epidemic diseases have gone hand in hand throughout the history of Brazil. The current new coronavirus pandemic that is devastating indigenous communities follows this violent strategy of conquest. My argument is that structural racism that has led to the death of more than 200 indigenous people in the first months of the pandemic should be seen not as irresponsible acts of omission, but as acts of genocide.

Keywords:
Indigenous peoples; COVID-19; conquest; genocide; political ecology