Hunger as a policy: genocide in Yanomami indigenous territory (2019-2022)
Genocide, famine, Famine Genocide, indigenous peoples, Yanomami.
This research examines the humanitarian crisis in the Yanomami Indigenous Territory between 2019 and 2022 2022 based on the theoretical approach of famine genocide. During the analyzed period, there was an exponential increase in malnutrition among the Yanomami people, with a significant rise in mortality rates, particularly among children. The severe food insecurity was part of a broader humanitarian crisis that also encompassed other direct and indirect forms of violence, including: homicides, sexual abuse and exploitation of girls and women, conditions analogous to slavery, forced displacement, environmental degradation, and lack of assistance by the Brazilian State. To examine the responsibilities and intentionality of the authorities at the time regarding the production of famine, a literature review was conducted on the crimes of genocide, analyzing their requirements and potential applications based on international criminal normative frameworks and jurisprudence. Theoretical approaches about atypical manifestations of the crime were also explored, focusing on famine genocide. This is understood as a strategy for the elimination of population groups based on restricting access to food. Subsequently, the specifics of the Yanomami crisis were detailed based on field data collected through participant observation and documentary analysis. The application of concepts delineated in the bibliographic review to the concrete case study led to the conclusion that there exists a legal basis for characterizing the conduct of government officials during this period within the juridical framework of famine genocide.