Lula government unlocks Bolsonaro’s ‘zero demarcations’ policy and will recognise 13 indigenous lands in Brazil

Mencius Melo – From Cenarium Magazine

MANAUS – In his first days in office, Lula (PT) will make 13 demarcations of Indigenous Lands (IT). The number is significant since his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro (PL), did not demarcate any land and established a policy of “zero demarcations” in his four years in office. The lands are with documentation for homologation concluded. The areas are in the North, Northeast, Midwest and South regions.

The areas that will be homologated are: Aldeia Velha (Pataxó), in Porto Seguro (BA), with 1,997 hectares. Kariri-Xocó, in São Brás, Porto Real do Colégio (AL), 4,694 hectares. Potiguara de Monte-Mor (Potiguara), in Marcação, Rio Tinto (PB), with 7,530 hectares. Xukuru-Kariri, in Palmeira dos Índios (AL), with 7,020 hectares. Tremembé da Barra do Mundaú (Tremembé Indigenous), in Itapipoca (CE), with 3,511 hectares. Morro dos Cavalos (Guarani), in Palhoça (SC), with 1,983 hectares.

Also included are the lands of: Rio dos Índios (kaingang), in Vicente Dutra (RS), with 711,701 hectares. Toldo Imbu (kaingang), in Abelardo Luz (SC), with 1,960 hectares. Cacique Fontoura (Karajá), in Luciara, São Félix do Araguaia (MT), with 32,304 hectares. Arara do Rio Amônia (Arara), in Marechal Thaumaturgo (AC), with 20,534 hectares. Rio Gregório (Katukina), in Tarauacá (AC), with 187,120 hectares. Uneiuxi (Maku and Tukano), in Santa Isabel do Rio Negro (AM), with 551,983 hectares and Acapuri de Cima (Kokama), in Fonte Boa (AM), with 18,393 hectares.

Constitutional Right

For sociologist Luiz Antônio, of the Social Sciences department of the Federal University of Amazonas (Ufam), demarcation is a constitutional right. “The constitutional provision is clear: indigenous lands must be identified, measured, demarcated and homologated. Guaranteeing that the indigenous populations remain protected forever. The Constitution even gave a deadline for this. It gave the federal government five years to do this. The Constitution alone is more than 30 years old and the government still hasn’t finished demarcating them”, he ironized.

According to the sociologist, by establishing a policy of “zero demarcations”, Bolsonaro hurt the Magna Carta. “Bolsonaro has failed to comply with a constitutional obligation. He should be notified and denounced. If these documents were all ready, why didn’t he demarcate? Didn’t he swear to comply with the Constitution?”, questioned Luiz Antônio. “He didn’t comply because he had no interest in this agenda. It was to guarantee that agribusiness, land grabbers and farmers would invade indigenous lands”, he accused.

According to Antônio, what Lula is doing is simply looking after the Constitution. he observed. Questioned about possible conflicts, Luiz Antônio explained: “There are no conflicts because when you homologate, all the stages have been overcome, including possible expropriations. When the documents are taken to be signed, all the necessary steps have already been taken”, he explained.

Demarcation is fundamental

For social scientist and anthropologist Socorro Batalha, Lula is fulfilling what he promised: “The demarcation of indigenous lands by President Lula is very significant, because it reaffirms a commitment made in campaign, to revoke decrees and ordinances that provided for the dismantling of rights and disastrous threats to these lands during the Bolsonaro Government. The recognition and demarcation is fundamental to maintain or reconstitute the relations of the peoples with their lands, preservation of their languages, uses, customs, traditions and preservation of forests and territories.”

According to the social scientist, the time is ripe to rebuild policies aimed at native peoples. “There are indigenous peoples and traditional communities that are experiencing threats from miners, loggers, land grabbers, and the demarcation brings the security of the guarantee of the territorial rights of indigenous people provided for in the 1988 Constitution. With the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples, with Sonia and Noemia at FUNAI, I believe that it is possible to build a more committed fight on the issue”, she concluded.