Brazil’s Lula Administration Faltering in Promises to Uphold Indigenous Land Rights

Brasilia – Brazil’s Lula administration faces mounting criticism from the country’s Indigenous movement as it falls short on its promises to safeguard Indigenous land rights, signaling a concerning backslide in its commitment to title Indigenous territories.

Despite pledges to fulfill the demarcation of 14 Indigenous lands in the first 100 days of his mandate, yesterday’s announcement to title just two territories meant that only 10 have received critical federal protections during 474 days of his government, while an additional 26 processes languish in the final stages of government approval. The move leaves dozens of Indigenous communities vulnerable to mounting land invasions, violence, and environmental exploitation.

“This is revolting for us Indigenous peoples to have had so much faith in the government’s commitments to our rights and the demarcation of our territories. The Ministry of Indigenous Peoples has tried to advance our rights, but Congress has blocked these efforts,” said Goldman Prize winner Alessandra Korap Munduruku. “We hear all of these discussions about environmental and climate protection, but without support for Indigenous peoples on the front lines, suffering serious attacks and threats. Lula cannot speak about fighting climate change without fulfilling his duty to demarcate our lands.”

President Lula’s announcement came on the eve of Brazil’s Acampamento Terra Livre (Free Land Camp) mobilization, a key annual gathering of the country’s Indigenous movement. Citing mounting criticisms of his government’s handling of Indigenous rights, the Association of Brazil’s Indigenous Peoples (APIB) rescinded his invitation to the event, underscoring growing discontent within the movement over the administration’s failure to adequately address increasingly embattled Indigenous land rights in the country.

Critics say the administration’s continued neglect of the critical demarcation processes undermines Brazil’s credibility as a global climate leader. The failure to protect Indigenous territories not only violates Brazil’s constitution but also poses significant risks to biodiversity and exacerbates deforestation, contributing to global climate change.

In another troubling move that was roundly denounced by Indigenous peoples and their allies, on Monday in Mato Grosso do Sul state, where the Guarani Kaiowa people have long struggled to reclaim their ancestral lands, Lula proposed to purchase a farm for the community rather than uphold the Guarani Kaiowa’s right to land demarcation. The move is seen as not only undermining the sovereignty of Indigenous territories but also perpetuating a cycle of land commodification that disregards Indigenous autonomy and cultural heritage.

“Today, there are hundreds of Indigenous Lands that await formal state recognition. President Lula had announced that his government would conclude the recognition of six of them, a number that was already insufficient given the scale of the problem, but the Indigenous movement was supportive of the gesture, given the absolute urgency of advancing demarcations,” said Ana Alfinto, legal advisor at Amazon Watch. “Yesterday’s announcement buried hopes that Lula’s government has any real strength vis-a-vis agribusiness’ anti-Indigenous stance. There is a high level of frustration and revolt in the movement. Next week the Free Land Camp will begin, and thousands of Indigenous people are expected to come to Brasília. Lula has missed an invaluable opportunity to advance demarcation and leverage support of the Indigenous movement, the environmental movement, and progressive sectors of Brazilian and international society.”

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