Indigenous leader had stated that he would “knock on the president’s door” to demand promises; Secom denies that there is an agenda with the PT member
The chief Raoni Metuktire arrived at Palácio do Planalto this Friday (November 3, 2023) at around 4:30 pm after promising “knock on the door” by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) to demand fulfillment of promises made to him on the day of the presidential inauguration. Secom (Secretariat of Social Communication of the Presidency), however, denies that there is any agenda between the indigenous leader and the PT member.
Raoni said he had not discussed the matter with the Chief Executive since taking office. “He’s slow. He didn’t fulfill what he promised me on the day of his inauguration and that’s why I’m going to Brasília and knocking on his door”, he declared in an interview with the newspaper The globe published on October 27th.
“He promised me that he would take actions in favor of indigenous peoples, so that these threats and violence against us no longer exist. […] I’m going to campaign in his office until I’m seen. Pressure him to fulfill what he promised me”, he added.
At the time, Raoni cited the veto Lula’s partial view of the time frame: “I want to go and talk to him, to put an end to all this. Because this hatred will not cease with this partial approval. I’ve been trying to talk to him and I haven’t been able to. He needs to veto it completely and that’s why I’m going to Brasília so he can help me”.
Lula’s veto occurred in parts of article 4 of the PL (Bill) 2,903/2023approved by the National Congress on September 27, which established that indigenous people would only have the right to the lands that were in their possession on October 5, 1988, date of promulgation of the Federal Constitution. Read more about the subject here.
“The time frame will be very bad for us. It is the worst problem that indigenous peoples can have. It was not created by us, but by people who hate us, like former president Jair Bolsonaro [PL], that encourages hatred against us”, said the chief.
Asked what he would demand from Lula, Raoni replied: the demarcation of indigenous lands. “I’m not happy with what was done. Many relatives need demarcated territory. Many of them are suffering and will suffer even more from the violence. The solution is for the land to go to those who have the right to it. All the leaders have been looking for me to demand this from Lula”, he stated.
