Haitian Immigrants Victims of Xenophobic Attacks in Brazil

A week after seven Haitian immigrants got seriously injured in gun attacks, the Mayor of Sao Paulo denounced Saturday any form of xenophobia in Brazil's largest city.

"The Ministry condemns the events and underlines its commitment to combat all and any form of violence and xenophobia in the city," said a statement from the Municipal Secretariat for Human Rights and Citizenship.

The institution confirmed that seven Haitian immigrants were shot last week Saturday in two separate attacks in the city center, including one nearby a religious organization housing immigrants. 

The victims said that before they got shot the attackers yelled at them "Haitians, you steal our jobs!."

They further reported that they were also discriminated against in the public hospital, saying doctors refused to attend them. The seven Haitians, including one woman, were wounded in the hip and legs.

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The Ministry of Human Rights reported that they will follow the case closely independently from the police's own investigation.

Sao Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest city in Brazil, has become one of the main destinations for the thousands of Haitian immigrants who enter the country through the Amazon after traveling through Panama, Ecuador and Peru.

According to Senator Jorge Viana nearly 36,000 Haitians have entered Brazil through the region between December 2010 and June this year.