“Lula Recognizes Six Indigenous Territories in Brazil, Fulfilling Campaign Promise to Protect Amazon Region”

Brazilian President Lula has recognized six regions as indigenous territories. It concerns more than 2000 square kilometers, mainly located in the Amazon region.

With his recognition, Lula is fulfilling a campaign promise: he had said goodbye to the policy of his predecessor Bolsonaro, who had just promised not to grant “a single centimeter” of land to indigenous peoples.

Recognition is crucial to protect indigenous territories against (illegal) logging, mining and agriculture, among other things.

Lula announced the recognitions at an annual meeting with representatives of indigenous groups in the capital, Brasilia. “We are going to legalize the native territories,” he said. “But it will take a while, because it has to go through many counters.”

Brazil has about 730 territories, most of which are in the Amazon region. 434 are officially recognised. A battle is raging for the as yet unrecognized areas, including in the Brazilian congress, where the agricultural lobby has considerable influence. That lobby wants the areas not to be recognised, so that they remain available for exploitation.

If it’s up to Lula, many more regions are actually recognised. “I promise you,” he said.

In February, a few months after beating Bolsonaro in a neck-and-neck race in the election, Lula was already serious about his promise to better protect the Amazon region. He sent armed government personnel to target illegal prospectors in the Amazon northwest.

Lula’s six recognitions were the first in Brazil since 2016. Kleber Karipuna, coordinator of an organization for indigenous peoples, spoke to AP news agency of a welcome change of course after years of threats under Bolsonaro.

“For us it is very important that this process starts again,” he said. “Although there are of course many other areas that need to be protected.”

Take a look at the deforestation in the Amazon forest between 1982 and 2020: