Dozens of armed miners have invaded a remote indigenous reserve in northern Brazil and stabbed to death at least one of its leaders, officials say.
Residents of the village in Amapá state fled in fear but a community leader said they could try to reclaim it, warning of the risk of violent clashes.
Police have been sent to the area.
Tensions in the Amazon region are on the rise as far-right President Jair Bolsonaro has vowed to open some of the protected areas to mining.
Mr Bolsonaro says the indigenous territories are too big given the number of people living there. Critics accuse him of encouraging illegal mining and invasions of reserves.
On Saturday, Jawaruwa Wajãpi, a leader of the Wajãpi community, said the miners had occupied the Mariry village. He pleaded with the federal government to send in the army.
“[The miners] are armed with rifles and other weapons. We’re in danger,” he said in a voice message sent to Rodolfe Rodrigues, one of the state’s senators. “There’s the risk of [more] deaths and conflict because I think the Wajãpi will act soon.”
Mr Rodrigues, whose party opposes the Bolsonaro government, said 50 miners had invaded the reserve, and that the situation was “very serious”.
The president has also criticised the environmental protection agency, Ibama, and accused the national space institute, Inpe, of lying about the scale of deforestation in the Amazon.
Activists say the relaxation of the protections could lead to greater deforestation of the Amazon rainforest and threaten the existence of indigenous people.
