In 2005, most Guarani Mbyá children in Iguazu, Argentina, were malnourished. In the following year, 20 children died from starvation in just three months. These Indians are losing 10% of their land annually, and cannot grow enough food.
Over the border lies one of Brazil’s wealthiest regions where over 11,000 Guarani Indians live, squeezed into an area which can barely support 300. Their children are dying of starvation. Almost no other tribe has suffered such an extreme loss of land and survived.
The forests which gave the Guarani their food are being rapidly cleared for cattle ranches, and soya and sugar plantations. The government’s response is to give out oil, rice and flour, but the Indians can no longer even find the wood to cook these meagre handouts.
Tribes who choose their own way of life on their own land may occasionally go hungry, but malnutrition is extremely rare. The Guarani need their land back or they will simply not survive.
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