Brazil Indian Foundation head stripped of office

Antônio Fernandes Toninho Costa, president of the National Indian Foundation was officially stripped of his office Friday (May 5). The government-controlled foundation, known by the Portuguese acronym FUNAI, aims to demarcate territories traditionally occupied by indigenous people.

Toninho Costa took office in September last year. His ouster takes place among conflicts between the indigenous Gamela people and farmers in Maranhão state.

The agency was recently criticized by Justice Minister Osmar Serraglio for sluggishness in land demarcation proceedings. On May 3, during an interview, Serraglio said he considered making efforts to “identify cases that are particularly sluggish, bogged down, or even hampered.”

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira