THE PROMPT

"The brazilian Indian patrimony is fabulous, its incomes would reach millions of new cruzeiros, if well managed, it would not require a single cent of government aid and the brazilian Indigenous would live rich and healthy in their visas".

The Guaicurus were very brave Indians who inhabited the states of Mato Grosso do Sul, Goiás (BRAZIL) and in Paraguay in the Chaco region. The name Guaicuru in Tupi-Guarani means a mangy person, a lumpy, evil individual. In general, it was a codename used for derogatory terms.

They became known as Indian horsemen who, besides riding, were perfected in hunting. They plundered other villages, especially those of the Guarani and tribes in the territories of the Spanish who were engaged in agriculture. They also had the act of enslaving those who were not in their favor.

The Kadiueus (formerly Guaiacurús), owners of the rich lands given to them by Lord Pedro II for their decisive help to the Brazilian troops in that region during the Paraguayan War, feel alienated in their domains, their cattle sold and their women prostituted .

In the jurisdiction of INSPECTORATE-6, Cuiabá, there are Posts that have stood out for their cruelty to the Indians, citing - how ironic - the Indigenous Fraternity and Couto de Magalhães.

historical facts - Defenders of the border

Guaicurus served in the Brazilian Army during the Paraguayan War It was really too much to ask that the Guaicurus hang up their boots after the peace agreement with the Portuguese. In fact, with the backing of one of the powers that had previously made life difficult for them, they continued their attacks on Indians and whites on the Paraguayan side, as well as acting as a sort of informal border patrol.

Accounts of the time tell that the soldiers of Fort Coimbra were only able to resist a Spanish attack in 1801 thanks to the help of a Guaicuru named Nixinica. It is said that the Indian was in the Paraguayan town of Concepción, 500 kilometers downriver from the fort, when he learned of the plans against Coimbra. Nixinica then paddled his canoe to the Portuguese fortification and warned its commander, Ricardo Franco de Almeida Serra. The information was crucial to prepare the defense of the fort, which escaped being taken. The same, however, did not occur at the beginning of the Paraguayan War in 1864. Fort Coimbra fell within 48 hours.

Corumbá, in the then province of Mato Grosso, was also taken quickly. But the Kadiwéus managed to break free from the invader and made constant attacks on the Paraguayan side of the border. In 1865, for example, they crossed the Apa River between the two countries and looted the village of San Salvador.