Indigenous Brazilians rally to demand land rights protection
By Sam
Cowie, Al Jazeera, April 25, 2018
Over
3,000 people arrive in Brasilia to denounce what activists say is an
unprecedented rollback of indigenous rights.
3,000 people arrive in Brasilia to denounce what activists say is an
unprecedented rollback of indigenous rights.
 |
|
Brazil is
home to roughly 900,000 indigenous people of more than 200 tribes
[Eraldo
Peres/AP] |
Sao
Paulo, Brazil – Thousands of indigenous Brazilians from across the
country have rallied in the capital, Brasilia, to call authorities to protect
their land rights.
Paulo, Brazil – Thousands of indigenous Brazilians from across the
country have rallied in the capital, Brasilia, to call authorities to protect
their land rights.
Organisers
of the annual “Free Land Camp” in Brasilia said more than 3,000
people reached the city this week to denounce what advocacy groups say is a
continuing and unprecedented rollback of indigenous rights in the country.
of the annual “Free Land Camp” in Brasilia said more than 3,000
people reached the city this week to denounce what advocacy groups say is a
continuing and unprecedented rollback of indigenous rights in the country.
“We
are here to demand our rights,” Jailson dos Santos, leader of the
Kariri-Xoko tribe from Bahia, northeastern Brazil, told Al Jazeera from the
protest outside the attorney general’s office on Wednesday.
are here to demand our rights,” Jailson dos Santos, leader of the
Kariri-Xoko tribe from Bahia, northeastern Brazil, told Al Jazeera from the
protest outside the attorney general’s office on Wednesday.
Indigenous
people’s right to their traditional lands is enshrined in Brazil‘s
constitution. In practice, however, this right is rarely respected and their
lands are often targeted by loggers, land grabbers and wildcat miners.
people’s right to their traditional lands is enshrined in Brazil‘s
constitution. In practice, however, this right is rarely respected and their
lands are often targeted by loggers, land grabbers and wildcat miners.
Since
last year, experts say, an already dire situation got considerably worse with
increased invasions of indigenous territories, anti-indigenous measures pushed
by Brazil’s powerful farming lobby and cuts to indigenous protection agencies.
last year, experts say, an already dire situation got considerably worse with
increased invasions of indigenous territories, anti-indigenous measures pushed
by Brazil’s powerful farming lobby and cuts to indigenous protection agencies.
‘Violent
land grabbing’
land grabbing’
“What
we are seeing now is new phase of violent land grabbing and occupation of
indigenous territories that are already demarcated,” Cleber Buzatto,
executive-secretary of Brazil’s Indigenous Missionary Council (CIMI) told Al
Jazeera.
we are seeing now is new phase of violent land grabbing and occupation of
indigenous territories that are already demarcated,” Cleber Buzatto,
executive-secretary of Brazil’s Indigenous Missionary Council (CIMI) told Al
Jazeera.
Last May,
more than a dozen members of the Gamela tribe in Maranhao state were
hospitalised after a vicious attack with guns and machetes by local ranchers.
more than a dozen members of the Gamela tribe in Maranhao state were
hospitalised after a vicious attack with guns and machetes by local ranchers.
In
September, Al Jazeera
reported that prosecutors were investigating the massacre of an
“uncontacted” indigenous tribe in a far-flung part of Brazil’s
Amazon near the border with Peru.
September, Al Jazeera
reported that prosecutors were investigating the massacre of an
“uncontacted” indigenous tribe in a far-flung part of Brazil’s
Amazon near the border with Peru.
Last
week, Adriano Karipuna, member and spokesman of the Karipuna tribe from the
northwestern state of Rondonia state, went to the United
Nations in New York to denounce violations against his tribe that
Brazil prosecutors say is on the verge of “genocide”.
week, Adriano Karipuna, member and spokesman of the Karipuna tribe from the
northwestern state of Rondonia state, went to the United
Nations in New York to denounce violations against his tribe that
Brazil prosecutors say is on the verge of “genocide”.
“We
asked for support of the world that the Brazilian government be responsible for
removing all of the invaders from our land that are logging, land grabbing and
mining,” Karipuna told Al Jazeera.
asked for support of the world that the Brazilian government be responsible for
removing all of the invaders from our land that are logging, land grabbing and
mining,” Karipuna told Al Jazeera.
Greenpeace’s
investigative journalism unit, Unearthed, visited the
Karipuna territory last year and documented the devastating effect of
encroaching loggers and land grabbers.
investigative journalism unit, Unearthed, visited the
Karipuna territory last year and documented the devastating effect of
encroaching loggers and land grabbers.
Last
week, Al Jazeera
reported that killings over land and resources had peaked to their highest
number since 2003. On Wednesday, the United Nations
environmental office issued a
statement condemning the violence.
week, Al Jazeera
reported that killings over land and resources had peaked to their highest
number since 2003. On Wednesday, the United Nations
environmental office issued a
statement condemning the violence.
Indigenous
legal protections under threat
legal protections under threat
Indigenous
demarcations, the process by which indigenous people gain legal protections to
their lands, are frozen and under threat of being rolled back even further,
Buzatto, of CIMI, said.
demarcations, the process by which indigenous people gain legal protections to
their lands, are frozen and under threat of being rolled back even further,
Buzatto, of CIMI, said.
Buzatto
blamed the introduction of a legal ruling known as “marco temporal”,
the focus of the Brasilia protest, which stipulates that indigenous people can
only live on their lands if they occupied them before Brazil’s
post-dictatorship constitution of 1998, as reported
by Al Jazeera last year.
blamed the introduction of a legal ruling known as “marco temporal”,
the focus of the Brasilia protest, which stipulates that indigenous people can
only live on their lands if they occupied them before Brazil’s
post-dictatorship constitution of 1998, as reported
by Al Jazeera last year.
“This
increases the potential conflicts inside indigenous territories,” Buzatto
added, “as it gives a kind of protection to illegal acts committed against
indigenous people”.
increases the potential conflicts inside indigenous territories,” Buzatto
added, “as it gives a kind of protection to illegal acts committed against
indigenous people”.
Proponents
of the ruling in Brazil’s agricultural caucus in Congress say that it gives
protection to small landowners from indigenous demarcations.
of the ruling in Brazil’s agricultural caucus in Congress say that it gives
protection to small landowners from indigenous demarcations.
In total,
according to CIMI, there are at least 33 proposed projects in motion in
Congress that seek to weaken indigenous rights, including the transfer of
demarcation power to Brazil’s parliament which is dominated by
agricultural interests and proposals to open up indigenous
territories to mining.
according to CIMI, there are at least 33 proposed projects in motion in
Congress that seek to weaken indigenous rights, including the transfer of
demarcation power to Brazil’s parliament which is dominated by
agricultural interests and proposals to open up indigenous
territories to mining.
Brazil’s
National Indigenous Foundation (FUNAI), which is tasked with guaranteeing the
protection of indigenous rights, has also been the target of heavy cuts and a
parliamentary commission inquiry led Brazil’s agricultural caucus in Congress.
National Indigenous Foundation (FUNAI), which is tasked with guaranteeing the
protection of indigenous rights, has also been the target of heavy cuts and a
parliamentary commission inquiry led Brazil’s agricultural caucus in Congress.
This
week, it was reported that FUNAI’s president was changed after pressure by the
agriculture caucus.
week, it was reported that FUNAI’s president was changed after pressure by the
agriculture caucus.
Brazil is
home to roughly 900,000 indigenous people of more than 200 tribes, the majority
of whom live in the country’s nine Amazon states.
home to roughly 900,000 indigenous people of more than 200 tribes, the majority
of whom live in the country’s nine Amazon states.
Between
1964 and 1985, during Brazil’s military dictatorship, more than 8,000
indigenous people were killed, according to the National Truth Commission,
which was set up to investigate human rights violations during the 1946-1988
period.
1964 and 1985, during Brazil’s military dictatorship, more than 8,000
indigenous people were killed, according to the National Truth Commission,
which was set up to investigate human rights violations during the 1946-1988
period.
