On June 30th, 2022, a burst of shots disturbed the calm of the inhabitants of the center of Puerto Ayacucho, capital of Amazonas State, in southern Venezuela. On the ground was the body of Virgilio Trujillo covered in blood, a 38-year-old indigenous leader from the Autana Municipality and coordinator of the Uwottujja Territorial Guard.
By La Patilla
Aug 30, 2022
The news spread like wildfire in the small city of almost 80,000 inhabitants, because the Amazonians recalled the murder of Freddy Menare, another Uwottujja leader who was shot to death in broad daylight while walking down a street, in 2017. What happened with Trujillo quickly spread. This was soon known in the most remote villages where the deceased was from.
The one who until then had been a staunch defender of the indigenous tribes and the territory of the Amazon, had been shot to death by unknown individuals. A witness told officials from the Scientific, Penal and Criminal Investigations Corps (Cicpc) that he observed when Trujillo was dumped from a SUV and from inside that same vehicle they shot him several times. Officials found three bullet shells on the ground.
However, despite the fact that the Public Ministry of Maduro’s regime has said that it is investigating the case, there have been no arrests and no progress in the investigation has been reported. Two months after the crime, impunity and opacity persist. The only thing that has been said as the main hypothesis is that it was probably committed by a hit man.
The Last Day of the Uwottujja Leader
But… Where was Virgilio Trujillo for the last time? According to witness accounts, the office of the Regional Organization of Indigenous Peoples of Amazonas (Orpia) was the last place where he was seen alive. His co-workers remember that he left the office and they never again heard from the indigenous leader.
Another relevant piece of information in the case is Trujilo’s participation in some operations carried out by the National Armed Forces (FAN) to dismantle guerrilla groups operating in the heart of the Amazon jungle some weeks before his murder. According to the NGO Kapé Kapé, the Uwottujja indigenous leader gave information to military organizations about the location of clandestine runways and illegal camps.
His colleagues believe that revealing this information put his life at risk. “In these operations, sites used for drug processing have been destroyed, airplanes have been seized and Armed Terrorist Colombian Drug Traffickers (Tancol) have been evicted. This accompaniment and the consequent action in defense of the Uwottujja ancestral territory cost Virgilio Trujillo his life,” declared some of his brothers who spoke with NGO Kapé Kapé.
For years, Virgilio Trujillo Arana warned of the presence of armed groups and mines in the jungle and indigenous territories of the Uwottuja people. He also denounced the installation of clandestine runways that favor, among other activities, the illegal transfer of gold and drugs. The damage they did to the jungle and to his brothers hurt Virgilio and he showed it in every complaint.
Victims of assassins and FAN
According to the Observatory for the Defense of Life (Odevida), between 2013 and 2021, 32 indigenous and environmental leaders have been assassinated, 21 of them by miners or members of Colombian guerrilla organizations and 11 by members of the National Armed Forces (FANB).
Various organizations spoke out about Trujillo’s murder. Among others is the Working Group on Indigenous Affairs (Gtai) of the University of Los Andes, which stated that the conflicts that the natives have against irregular armed groups and the devastation of the jungle is not new.
“The dark agents of “extractivism” went for Virgilio, in revenge for his commitment to defend the Venezuelan Amazon. We demand that the crime be resolved, establishing the due responsibilities of the material and intellectual authors,” said Gtai.
International organizations such as the Organization of American States (OAS) and the European Union also condemned the act and called for justice. “We demand justice from the civil and military authorities for the murder of our comrade in struggle and defender of the territory,” Orpia said at the time.
Violence Against Indigenous Peoples
As revealed by the Observatory for the Defense of Life, the indigenous peoples with increasing frequency endure living conditions of violence where they are the main target. On March 20th, during a dispute over internet service access in the Parima B indigenous community, four Yanomami were allegedly killed by gunshots fired by officials at the Air Force border post.
The military refused to share internet service with the tribe, even though the connection device had been purchased by the indigenous village elder. Those who died from this event were: Marina González, 45 years old; Jonathan Silva, 30 years old; Caribán González, 22 years old; Isnardo Borges, 21 years old. According to the official version, five other people were injured, including two military officials.
As in other cases, there were no arrests and no progress was made in the investigation, despite the fact that there was evidence and clear testimony of what had happened.
Blood, pain and impunity are common in the conflicts in the Venezuelan jungle, where the indigenous peoples seem to be helpless and at the mercy of a State that claims to protect them, but attacks them at close range, according to the facts shown in this report and press releases issued by non-governmental organizations.
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Read More: La Patilla – Murder of indigenous leader Virgilio Trujillo filled the Amazon jungle with blood, pain and impunity
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