The suspicious relationship between the president of Funai and someone accused of environmental crime

In an audio, the president of the National Indian Foundation (Funai), Marcelo Augusto Xavier, offered support to a man who was arrested for leasing indigenous land in Mato Grosso.

The man is Jussielson Silva, who was arrested in May. Silva is a former marine and former head of Funai in the municipality of Ribeirão Cascalheira, in Mato Grosso.

The conversation between the president of Funai and the former employee would have taken place at the beginning of this year, according to information from the newspaper The Globe, who released the audio.

The case had worldwide repercussions.

Leasing indigenous lands has been a crime since 1973.

Jussielson complained to Xavier, on the call, about a visit that the Federal Police had made. You questionThe reports were about complaints about farmers renting pastures for cattle, within an indigenous reserve.

In the conversation, Xavier warned that “he spoke to the head of the police station here and it seems to me that they have enormous ill will”, but reassured the interlocutor, who thanked “You protecting me, I am even happier”.

The president of Funai released a statement saying that the audio, which shows the conversation with the former employee, is a “decontextualized leak”.

Curto Curatorship:

• Listen to the audio of the conversation on the newspaper O Globo.
• Funai chief wanted to help prisoner suspected of renting indigenous land (Uol)
• Note from Marcelo Augusto Xavier (g1)