AFPLast year, Brazilian President Lula visited the Kayapo
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 15:56
Brazil apologized for the first time yesterday for more than 500 years of oppression of the indigenous population. The apology came from the chairman of the amnesty committee, which investigated the crimes of the dictatorial regime that was in power between 1964 and 1985. For example, people were locked up in detention centers by the regime.
Live on television, the chairman of the commission knelt before indigenous leader Djanira Krenak, expressing regret about the violence committed against the Krenak people. “On behalf of the Brazilian government, I would like to apologize for the suffering caused to your people,” Almeida said. In Brazil it is called a historic moment.
The commission investigated the crimes of the dictatorial regime that was in power in the second half of the last century, but apologized for the entire colonial history.
Since the Europeans set foot in what would later become Brazil in the early sixteenth century, the indigenous population has faced systematic oppression. Much of the indigenous population died from diseases brought by the Europeans.
‘Re-education campaign’
During the dictatorship from 1964 to 1985, Brazil’s economy experienced tremendous growth, which became known as “the Brazilian miracle.” That government embarked on enormous infrastructure projects, which were sometimes built in the middle of the habitats of the indigenous population. Large areas of rainforest were bulldozed, after which disease and violence virtually wiped out peoples who had previously lived in complete isolation.
The government also began a “re-education campaign”, which, according to Djanira Krenak, was intended “to crack down on indigenous peoples deemed unfit for Brazilian life”. A re-education camp was opened in 1969, where dozens of indigenous prisoners were abused.
Concrete actions
Although the apologies are generally received positively, there is also criticism. According to the critics, the rights of the indigenous population are still being systematically violated. For example, in 2015 a dam broke, poisoning a river that flows through the Kratak people’s area. The indigenous population was then virtually alone.
Those involved, including Djanira Krenak, hope that the apology will lead to concrete actions, such as repairs, reparations and the return of land to the indigenous population.
2024-04-05 13:56:09
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