6,000 Indigenous leaders have gathered in the Brazilian capital of Brasília this week to fight for their lands and lives. Indigenous “Struggle for Life” Camp, Brasília, Brazil. © Diego Baravelli / Greenpeace The “Struggle for Life” (“ Luta pela vida ”) Camp has brought together up to 6,000 Indigenous leaders and activists from all regions of Brazil to protest the government’s anti-Indigenous policies and rollbacks on protections for their lands and lives. Ipê square in Brasília is currently the biggest Indigenous village in Brazil. And it’s the largest Indigenous demonstration in Brazil’s history. What are they protesting? The current Brazilian Government led by far-right President Jair Bolsonaro has an explicitly anti-Indigenous agenda, abandoning Indigenous communities as they face invasions from land grabbers, miners, and loggers. This week is critical because the Brazilian Supreme Court will rule on a legal case that could severely limit Indigenous land rights. The UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples has said that this case could legitimize violence against Indigenous Peoples and inflame conflicts in the Amazon Rainforest and other areas. This case comes at a time when the Brazilian Congress is advancing laws that would reward land grabbing, end environmental licensing, […]
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