In Brazil, invaders set fires in Karipuna Indigenous land, leaders say

Indigenous leaders say land-grabbers are setting fires inside the Karipuna Indigenous Territory in Brazil’s Rondônia state, in the northwest Amazon. The fires come less than one month after Indigenous leaders warned authorities about renewed invasions. Satellite monitoring detected more than 90 fire alerts in the territory between Aug. 14 and Aug. 25, according to an analysis by Mongabay using data from Brazil’s space agency, INPE. “These fires are happening because of land-grabbing,” André Karipuna, the chief of the Karipuna people, told Mongabay in an audio message. “The land-grabber comes in, sections the land into lots, then clears it. First, they cut the smaller vegetation, then bigger trees. They leave it to dry and then set it on fire.” Satellites record dozens of fires across the K