Lula meets natives in the Amazon and promises land

RAPOSA-SERRA DO SOL INDIGENOUS RESERVE, Brazil (AP) — On his first trip to indigenous lands in the Amazon since assuming the presidency of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed his support for the creation new territories for these communities, but did not announce any specific demarcation.

Dressed in a white cap and dark shirt on a hot day, Lula addressed some 2,000 Indians in face painting and traditional feather headdresses who greeted him with songs in the Raposa area on Monday. -Serra do Sol on the border with Venezuela and Guyana.

He says he wants a quick demarcation of his land “before other people take it, invent false documents” to claim property rights. This has been common throughout Brazil’s history, leading to the start of the demarcation processes more than half a century ago.

“We must try to quickly legalize all the lands that are nearing completion of the (demarcation) studies so that the indigenous peoples can take the land that belongs to them,” Lula told the 52nd general assembly of indigenous peoples in the state of Roraima.

However, Lula did not announce new appointments, eagerly awaited by indigenous peoples and rights activists. Many had already seen their hopes of new named demarcations during the first 30 days of his rule, which began on January 1, dashed.

His movement has pressured Lula to designate 13 new territories that have passed all regulatory processes and only need presidential approval to become official. It would be a radical change from the policy of the government of his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, which did not release any territory for indigenous peoples during his presidency.

Some of the territories awaiting presidential clearance began the demarcation process decades ago.

Lula authorized the demarcation of Raposa-Serra do Sol in 2005, during his first term as president. Unlike other reserves in the Brazilian Amazon, this territory is mostly tropical savannah. 26,000 people of five different ethnicities reside there.

Since it received the status of protected reserve, it has been the scene of conflicts between rice farmers and indigenous populations and has recorded sporadic episodes of violence, which makes the territory a textbook case in the challenges generated by the protection of a territory under increasing pressure from abroad.

Bolsonaro’s relentless push to legalize mining in indigenous territories has fueled long-running divisions among local communities in Raposa-Serra do Sol over the best path to achieving their collective well-being. In October 2021, he visited an illegal gold mine on the same indigenous territory and openly encouraged the activity, despite criticism from local indigenous leaders.

Preparations for Lula’s arrival in Raposa-Serra do Sol began shortly before dawn in the Amazon, with natives from different groups rising early to gather at a community center for the final song and dance rehearsals for President. People of different ages dressed in straw skirts moved to the sound of drums and chants. Others were back in their tents preparing breakfast for members of their groups.

Indigenous leaders like Osmar Lima Batista, of the Macuxi people; Letícia Monteiro da Silva of the Taurepang people and Adailton Waiwai of the Waiwai people told The Associated Press at the meeting that they expected better days than in the past four years where, believed- they, they had no friend in the presidential palace.

But all agreed that Lula’s first visit to the region since 2010 was not enough.

Davi Kopenawa, leader of the Yanomami people, took the microphone during the meeting to explain to the president that the needs of his community were greater than four years ago.

“After taking out the miners, we have to take back our indigenous healthcare system, which has been destroyed,” Kopenawa said. “We have to save the children we have left. I don’t want any more children to die. We need hospitals in our community. To be strong in the Amazon”.

“I don’t want any mining on Yanomami lands or in Raposa-Serra do Sol territory,” he added. “Mining kills us, it kills people in the city, the river, the water in the jungle. We don’t need heavy mining at home.”

In his speech, Lula said his government will permanently expel gold miners from indigenous lands, as it has already begun to do in Yanomami territory.

“This gold does not belong to anyone. It is there because nature put it there. It’s on indigenous lands,” Lula said.

The president was accompanied by Sonia Guajajara, his Minister of Indigenous Peoples, and Joenia Wapichana, who heads the Indigenous Affairs agency.

Lula said that a meeting will take place in which the leaders of the Amazon countries will participate: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela.

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Savarese reported from Sao Paulo.