Brazil's Indian affairs chief resigns amid land tensions

Munduruku Indians sit in front of security guards protecting Planalto Palace during a protest, where they were prevented by security forces from entering the palace, in Brasilia June 6, 2013. REUTERS/Lunae Parracho

BRASILIA (Reuters) - The head of Brazil's Indian affairs agency, Funai, has resigned due to health problems, it said on Friday, a decision that also comes amid escalating land conflicts between farmers and Indian tribes that led to the shooting an indigenous man last week.

Marta Maria do Amaral Azevedo's departure, after little more than a year at the government agency created to protect Indian tribes, comes after the government limited Funai's power to return land to tribes that it deems traditionally indigenous.