A group consisting of Canadian photojournalist Renaud Philippe, Brazilian anthropologist Ana Carolina Mira Porto and forestry engineer Renato Farac Galata were attacked by a group of hooded gunmen while filming a documentary near an indigenous community in Iguatemi, about 300 miles from Campo Grande, in Mato Grosso do Sul, reported the Campo Grande News website.
According to the article, on Tuesday, Nov. 21, the group was filming a documentary about Indigenous communities in the area. After visiting the filming locations and participating in the Aty Guassu Guarani Kaiowá Assembly, they were surprised by a roadblock of pick-up trucks.
In a video message, Philippe, Mira and Farac claim that the Military Police passed them by and did not act to protect them, even after they called for help.
"We were returning from the technical visit, about 4 miles from the main street of the chosen sites, when our car was stopped by the vans. The men were hooded and armed, they broke into our vehicle and started beating us. They also threatened us and subjected us to psychological torture," Mira said in the video.
At the Public Defender's Office headquarters, Philippe said that, in addition to kicking, punching, pushing and pulling hair, the aggressors cut his hair, threatened to cut the anthropologist's hair and stole all the team's work equipment and documents, reported Campo Grande News.
