Venezuela: no evidence of Yanomami massacre

Venezuelan investigators have found no evidence of an alleged massacre of up to 80 members of the Yanomami indigenous group by illegal Brazilian gold miners, officials say. But activists said Monday the government had been too quick to dismiss the claim that dozens of Yanomami Indians were killed in a July attack, and urged officials to pursue their investigation. "The investigative panel did not travel to the site of the massacre," said Itirio Hoariwe, vice president of the the Horonami Yanomami Organization (HOY). The government said forensic teams and security officials were sent to nine Yanomami communities in southern Venezuela along the border with Brazil. But investigators did not find evidence of any killings, Minister for Indigenous Peoples Nicia Maldonado was cited by the AVN news agency as saying late Saturday. "The final outcome of these visits we have made is that no evidence of any killing was found," nor of houses or huts being burnt down as claimed by HOY, Maldonado said. Brazil said over the weekend that it would assist in the probe.