Thousands of Indigenous protesters marched in Brazil's capital against the government's failure to protect their ancestral lands. The annual event this year focused Indigenous anger over the government's plans for a railway they say will destroy the environment of tribal communities near the Tapajos river.

Rio de Janeiro

Thousands of Indigenous protesters converged on Brazil's capital, demonstrating against the government's perceived inaction in protecting their ancestral lands. The march, part of an annual protest aimed at safeguarding indigenous land rights, highlighted the community's frustration with plans for a new railway. This proposed infrastructure project is intended to facilitate the transport of grain from agricultural states to ports in the Amazon for export but is feared to severely impact the environment of tribal communities along the Tapajos River.

The protest, which encircled the National Congress, saw indigenous people voicing their concern over the endangerment of their lands due to government policies. Participants of the rally, including indigenous leader Mana Xaninawa, expressed a deep connection to their ancestral territories, equating the land with life itself. They criticized the current administration under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for not fulfilling its promises to designate indigenous reservations as ancestral lands officially. Such designation is crucial for protecting these areas from the encroachment of illegal loggers, miners, and land grabbers propelled by the expansion of agriculture in the region.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who met with 40 indigenous leaders during the demonstration, reiterated his commitment to addressing the plight of indigenous peoples and securing their rights. Despite this, the government remains indecisive about approving the controversial railway project, which has received significant support from Brazil's powerful agricultural lobby. The project, proposed in 2015 before President Lula's term, is advocated by the farm bloc in Congress, emphasizing its potential to decrease freight costs by 25% and reduce carbon emissions compared to current trucking methods.



Brazil's Indigenous people rally for land protection

Thousands of indigenous protesters in Brazil marched around the National Congress on Thursday, calling on the government to protect their ancestral lands. It's part of a yearly protest this week in defense of indigenous land rights. They are upset with the government for planning a railway to transport grain from farm states to ports in the Amazon for export, as they fear doing so will destroy the environment of tribal communities near the Tapajos River. Mana Xaninawa is an indigenous leader taking part. In the past, we died by the knife, by the bullet, and today we die by the pen, by making laws and by taking away our rights. This is a huge genocide that can happen within our nation, within the people, because our indigenous land is life. For us, it is forest and life. The protesters accused Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's government of not keeping to promises to officially recognize indigenous reservations as ancestral lands. They say the recognition is essential to protect their territories from illegal loggers, wildcat coal miners and land grabbers encroaching on the expanding agricultural frontier in the Amazon. President Lula, who met with 40 indigenous leaders who led the march, said on X that quote, It is my moral duty to do what I can to minimize the suffering of indigenous people and guarantee their rights. But the leaders came away with little more than promises. Lula's minority government is undecided on whether to approve the railway project, which has strong backing from Brazil's powerful agricultural sector. However, the farm carcass in Congress is pressing for the building of the 590-mile-long railway first proposed in 2015 before Lula was in office. In a statement to Reuters, the carcass said the project is of extreme importance for the shipment of grains. They claim it will cut freight costs by 25% and release less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than the trucks that are currently used.

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