He was the undisputed star of previous editions, when his speeches were applauded by thousands of spectators. This year, however, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva did not receive an invitation to attend the Terra Livre camp, Brazil's largest indigenous gathering, which took place in Brasilia from April 22 to 26, a sign of the disappointment and discontent felt by the indigenous people as a result of the left-wing president's policies.
On the face of it, the atmosphere in the capital was festive. Six thousand indigenous people from 200 ethnic groups took part in the event, according to the Coordination of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil, organizers of the camp, which celebrated its 20th anniversary this year. Several traditional rituals and peaceful marches were organized by the demonstrators, who camped out on the Axe Monumental, the capital's main thoroughfare. Slogans were projected onto the domes of the Congress building. "Never again a Brazil without us," proclaimed one of them.
But behind the participants' songs and dances, bitterness, if not anger, shone through. On the eve of the event, the camp's coordinating committee sent a stern letter of demand to the authorities, setting out 25 points. "Despite the recent change of government, the threats to our territories, our cultures and our rights persist," said the text, which referred to a "crucial moment" for the country's 1.7 million indigenous people.
At the heart of the criticism is the demarcation of new indigenous lands. Since he took office in January 2023, Lula has approved only 10, a far cry from his campaign promises. Having already met all legal and administrative criteria, 23 indigenous territories are awaiting ratification by the executive.
'All very pessimistic'
"2023 was a year of reconstruction and resumption of dialogue following Jair Bolsonaro's disastrous mandate," said Kleber Karipuna, executive coordinator of the Indigenous Peoples Association. The former head of state, who left office in January 2023, boasted that he had not approved "a single square centimeter" of indigenous land during his term. "But today, our demands are not progressing, so we're telling Lula that we need urgent action!" said Karipuna.
On the institutional front, the new Ministry of Indigenous Peoples, headed by activist Sonia Guajajara, was gutted in 2023 by Congress and lost the power to demarcate new indigenous territories to the Ministry of Justice. On the financial front, the situation is far from rosy. Despite an increase, the combined budget of the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples and the National Foundation of Indigenous Peoples, responsible for protecting and promoting the rights of indigenous people, does not exceed 1.3 billion reais (240 million euros) for 2024, equivalent to 0.01% of the federal budget.
You have 52.23% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.