BRAZIL
Indians face land loss and displacement
The rights of Brazil's indigenous people are in jeopardy. Parliament voted this week to restrict protected areas and strip the newly created Ministry of Indigenous Affairs of important powers. If the two laws go through as planned, the indigenous peoples face the threat of land loss and expulsion. The consequences for the environment would also be fatal.
Online since today, 2:58 p.m.
On Wednesday, a majority of the Chamber of Deputies favored returning responsibility for allocating new indigenous protected areas to the Justice Ministry. And the Environment Ministry would lose oversight of rural land use registration - a critical tool in the fight against illegal logging.
The Senate must approve the bill. Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva created the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples when he returned to office this year. However, the powers assigned to the department were only provisional and still required parliamentary approval.
Limitation of protected areas
Wednesday's vote was the second defeat for Lula in 24 hours. On Tuesday, deputies had already approved a law that makes it more difficult to expand and allocate indigenous protected areas. It stipulates that only land inhabited by indigenous peoples on the day the constitution was promulgated on Oct. 5, 1988, may be recognized as protected areas.
Critics complained that indigenous peoples would then no longer be able to reclaim tribal lands from which they had previously been evicted. In addition, invaders who had to return indigenous territories could file claims for compensation. Furthermore, in the future there could be a legal basis for contacting isolated indigenous peoples, for example, to "enforce state measures of public benefit."
"Legal genocide"
Shortly before the parliamentary vote, indigenous peoples had demonstrated against the law, blocking a highway near the metropolis of Sao Paulo, which is home to millions of people. They lit fires, sang songs and brought traffic to a standstill. According to media reports, the military police used tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets to clear the road.
Indigenous Minister Sonia Guajajara criticized the law, saying, "The project constitutes legal genocide because it directly affects isolated peoples. It allows third parties access to areas where people live who have not yet had contact with society." Guajajara expressed "frustration" that Lula was not taking action against it. This bill also still has to pass the Senate. Then it will be presented to Lula, who can still veto it.
According to the last census in 2010, some 800,000 indigenous people live in Brazil, most of them in more than 730 reserves that account for 13.75 percent of the country's territory. Under the government of ultra-rightist President Jair Bolsonaro, the allocation of land to indigenous people had stalled. Deforestation of the Amazon rainforest also increased sharply.
Setback for environmental policy
Lula had promised a departure from his predecessor's policies when he took office in December, saying he would work vigorously to protect indigenous peoples and the Amazon forest. As recently as April, he designated six new indigenous territories and guaranteed the indigenous people exclusive use of the natural resources on them. The land may not be sold, and mining is also prohibited.
Experts see the protected areas as a bulwark against the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest. Lula's ambitious plans, however, threaten to fail in the face of political reality. Even though he won the presidential election last year, he lacks a majority in parliament. Right-wing and conservative groups together hold a large share of the votes and are exerting pressure on the new left-wing government, among other things, to block its environmental policies.
"What we are experiencing right now is a reality shock," said Marcio Astrini, executive director of the ecothink tank Observatorio do Clima. "We have a very reactionary Congress that basically wants to continue Bolsonaro's anti-environmental policies. He's trying at all costs to weaken environmental legislation and undermine indigenous rights." Lula must make a choice, he said: Does he go along with the interests of Congress or does he stick to his promises as president of the republic?" said Astrini.
red, ORF.at/agencies
S | A
Online since today, 2:58 p.m.
On Wednesday, a majority of the Chamber of Deputies favored returning responsibility for allocating new indigenous protected areas to the Justice Ministry. And the Environment Ministry would lose oversight of rural land use registration - a critical tool in the fight against illegal logging.
The Senate must approve the bill. Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva created the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples when he returned to office this year. However, the powers assigned to the department were only provisional and still required parliamentary approval.
Limitation of protected areas
Wednesday's vote was the second defeat for Lula in 24 hours. On Tuesday, deputies had already approved a law that makes it more difficult to expand and allocate indigenous protected areas. It stipulates that only land inhabited by indigenous peoples on the day the constitution was promulgated on Oct. 5, 1988, may be recognized as protected areas.
Critics complained that indigenous peoples would then no longer be able to reclaim tribal lands from which they had previously been evicted. In addition, invaders who had to return indigenous territories could file claims for compensation. Furthermore, in the future there could be a legal basis for contacting isolated indigenous peoples, for example, to "enforce state measures of public benefit."
"Legal genocide"
Shortly before the parliamentary vote, indigenous peoples had demonstrated against the law, blocking a highway near the metropolis of Sao Paulo, which is home to millions of people. They lit fires, sang songs and brought traffic to a standstill. According to media reports, the military police used tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets to clear the road.
Indigenous Minister Sonia Guajajara criticized the law, saying, "The project constitutes legal genocide because it directly affects isolated peoples. It allows third parties access to areas where people live who have not yet had contact with society." Guajajara expressed "frustration" that Lula was not taking action against it. This bill also still has to pass the Senate. Then it will be presented to Lula, who can still veto it.
According to the last census in 2010, some 800,000 indigenous people live in Brazil, most of them in more than 730 reserves that account for 13.75 percent of the country's territory. Under the government of ultra-rightist President Jair Bolsonaro, the allocation of land to indigenous people had stalled. Deforestation of the Amazon rainforest also increased sharply.
Setback for environmental policy
Lula had promised a departure from his predecessor's policies when he took office in December, saying he would work vigorously to protect indigenous peoples and the Amazon forest. As recently as April, he designated six new indigenous territories and guaranteed the indigenous people exclusive use of the natural resources on them. The land may not be sold, and mining is also prohibited.
Experts see the protected areas as a bulwark against the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest. Lula's ambitious plans, however, threaten to fail in the face of political reality. Even though he won the presidential election last year, he lacks a majority in parliament. Right-wing and conservative groups together hold a large share of the votes and are exerting pressure on the new left-wing government, among other things, to block its environmental policies.
"What we are experiencing right now is a reality shock," said Marcio Astrini, executive director of the ecothink tank Observatorio do Clima. "We have a very reactionary Congress that basically wants to continue Bolsonaro's anti-environmental policies. He's trying at all costs to weaken environmental legislation and undermine indigenous rights." Lula must make a choice, he said: Does he go along with the interests of Congress or does he stick to his promises as president of the republic?" said Astrini.
red, ORF.at/agencies
S | A
