Monitoring in AM points to lack of linguistic adaptation for indigenous people in elections

Isabella Rabelo – From Cenarium*

MANAUS (AM) – Monitoring carried out by the Amazonas Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP-AM) highlighted the lack of linguistic adaptation in polling stations in Amazonas. The initiative, carried out by the 50th Electoral Zone in the municipality of Juruá (AM), 674 kilometers from Manaus, aims to promote the inclusion of traditional populations, especially indigenous peoples, in the 2024 electoral process.

Amazonas is the state with the largest number of indigenous people (490,900), according to the latest Census by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). In 2022, Manaus was the brazilian city with the highest number of indigenous people, with 71.7 thousand. The amazonian capital was followed by the municipalities of São Gabriel da Cachoeira (48.3 thousand) and Tabatinga (34.5 thousand).

According to the MP-AM, the problem was raised because the lack of the procedure prevents indigenous people from fully understanding the electoral process, including basic aspects such as voting times on election day. This language barrier can create an environment conducive to scams and the spread of misinformation, compromising the integrity of the election.

With the aim of ensuring that the political rights of traditional populations are respected and guaranteed on an equal footing, the order initiating the procedure was signed by electoral prosecutor Rafael Augusto del Castillo da Fonseca, who stressed the importance of guaranteeing that all citizens, regardless of their origin, have the full right to universal suffrage.

“This action is in line with the guidelines of the electoral calendar, and ensures that indigenous, riverine, community and other groups in the Juruá electoral zone have all the necessary conditions to exercise their right to vote as brazilian citizens”, he emphasized.

Acknowledging

For the president of the Indigenous Peoples Commission of the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB-AM), lawyer Inory Kanamari, the action demonstrates that the Brazilian justice system is recognizing the existence of the indigenous population as part of the country.

“Throughout history we have always been forced to adapt to the customs of the invaders, and this has always been normalized by the state. We hope that this action by the MP-AM will respect cultural and linguistic diversity, as well as paying attention to the specificities of each people”, the lawyer emphasized.

“It’s important to note that Amazonas is the most indigenous brazilian state, according to the latest IBGE survey, and yet we are still often invisible and unfortunately only remembered during election periods”, she said.

Legislation

Article 231 of the Brazilian Constitution guarantees the right of indigenous peoples to use their languages in a variety of processes, from voting to basic education, while respecting their own learning processes.

“Indigenous are recognized for their social organization, customs, languages, beliefs and traditions, and the original rights over the lands they traditionally occupy, and it is the responsibility of the Union to demarcate, protect and enforce all their assets,” says part of the text of Article 231.

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(*) With information from the Press Office