Brazilian Indians protest invasion of their lands

BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) – Brazilian Indians are demanding the swift demarcation of their tribal lands, which they say are being invaded by loggers and ranchers.

Leaders from some 70 Indian tribes, mostly from the western state of Mato Grosso do Sul, delivered a document with their demands to the presidential office, Congress and the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

The document was signed by 20,000 people including American linguist Noam Chomsky and Uruguayan author Eduardo Galeano

During a ceremony in Congress, Guarani-Kaiowa leader Ladio Veron said many of his tribe fled their lands in Mato Grosso do Sul after an invasion by ranchers.

The ranches, in his words, “are destroying our rivers, forests and are poisoning our land.”