Government creates task force to unlock land demarcations

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva received, on the afternoon of this Thursday (25), at Palácio do Planalto, a group of 40 indigenous leaders from all regions of the country participating in the 20th edition of Acampamento Terra Livre (ATL), the largest indigenous mobilization in Brazil.

The meeting took place after another march, which brought together thousands of indigenous people. They walked through the entire central area of ​​the city to Praça dos Três Poderes.

In response to the group’s main demand, the creation of a government task force was announced to try to unlock land demarcation processes pending presidential approval. The priority is four areas. It was expected that these approvals would have been signed last week by the president, but the government suspended the decision due to problems with non-indigenous occupation of some of these lands.

The pending lands have a long history of disputes over demarcation. They are: Morro dos Cavalos and Toldo Imbu, in Santa Catarina, Potiguara de Monte-Mor, in Paraíba, and Xukuru Kariri, in Alagoas.

“These are political problems that also need to be faced. It is not possible to sign the approvals disregarding all the non-indigenous occupation that currently exists within this territory”, stated the Minister of Indigenous Peoples, Sônia Guajajara. The task force will be coordinated by the minister, together with the General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic, the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Family Agriculture, the Attorney General’s Office (AGU), in addition to the Foundation itself. National Council of Indigenous Peoples (Funai).

According to the government, the processes in the two areas in Santa Catarina were halted as a result of a decision this week, by Minister Gilmar Mendes, of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), which determined conciliation in actions that attempt to apply the time frame thesis.

The areas in Paraíba and Alagoas register the presence of small farmers and the government hopes to obtain a solution for the resettlement of these families before proceeding with the demarcation.

“In our view, there is no legal impediment. What there is is a political impediment, which we hope will be resolved, with this task force, which is a demand from the indigenous movement, including, so that we can, in fact, unlock land demarcations. Not just the four lands, not just the 25 lands with declaratory ordinances. [já assinadas]but rather, so that, once and for all, we can overcome the policy of demarcating indigenous lands in the country”, said Dinamam Tuxá, one of the executive coordinators of the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (Apib).

In a post on social media after meeting with indigenous leaders, President Lula highlighted the role of minister Sônia Guajajara and the president of Funai, Joênia Wapichana, two indigenous women in the main positions in the country’s indigenous policy.

“We knew that it would not be easy to rebuild indigenous policy, especially a policy made by and for indigenous peoples. I am satisfied with the work done so far and with the certainty that we will work even harder. I have a moral duty and a lifelong commitment to do whatever is possible, and even whatever is impossible, to minimize the suffering of indigenous peoples and guarantee their rights”, wrote the president.

The 20th ATL continues until this Friday (26), with a series of cultural and political programs. In total, around 10,000 indigenous people are in the country’s capital for the annual event, considered the largest ever held since then.