Brazilian Tribe Releases Hostages in Land Dispute

A Brazilian indigenous tribe Friday freed nine journalists it had held hostage for three days in a bid to pressure the government to hand over land it had promised last year, officials said.

Although they released the hostages, some 100 members of the Terena Indian tribe from west-central Mato Gross state remained in negotiations with officials over the land.

“The journalists were released and they are all safe and unharmed,” a spokeswoman for the Agrarian Development Ministry’s Incra land agency said.

“But the land issue has not been resolved and the chances are the Indians will resume their protests if the land is not handed over soon,” she said.

The tribe, donning feathers and body paint, blocked a highway Wednesday to demand land and kidnapped journalists who came to cover the events. Television images showed the captives calmly sitting and walking around an Indian hut during the standoff.

The Terena Indians are demanding the government hand over land it promised as part of an accord signed last year when the tribe took several journalists hostage over the same issue. The tribe has about 700 members and has a reservation in the sparsely populated area.

The spokeswoman said the process has taken longer than it should and that the government hopes to resolve the issue quickly.

The Brazilian government has made it a goal to set aside Indian lands, but this can entail appropriating territory from farmers, which can cause delays.

Brazil’s indigenous tribes account for less than 1% of the population. Many live in jungle or remote regions after being pushed inland by Portuguese explorers 500 years ago.

Indians often clash with farmers, loggers and miners over land and sometimes take people who trespass on their lands hostage. It is illegal to enter an Indian reservation without an invitation from the tribe or government approval.