by
Diego Gonzaga
Every year, thousands of
Indigenous Peoples from all over Brazil gather in Brasília, the capital
of the country, to share experiences, traditional knowledge, support
each other and, most importantly, demand the government protect their
rights. But this year, the Free Land Camp (Acampamento Terra Livre, in
Portuguese), feels bittersweet. Since the new president Jair Bolsonaro
took office on January 1st this year, the new administration has taken measures
to weaken the tools to protect the environment, and has not taken any
actions to protect Indigenous Peoples, who face violence and threats to
their lives, and whose lands continue to be invaded by a greedy and
powerful industry. Indigenous Peoples in Brazil have the constitutional
right to their traditional lands and have bravely fought to protect them
for hundreds of years.

Over
4.000 indigenous people gathered in Brasília, capital of Brazil to
exchange cultural experiences and unify their resistance and fight for
their rights. © Christian Braga / MNI
To support the Indigenous communities
in Brazil and show Bolsonaro’s government that the world is watching,
last Wednesday, on the first day of this year’s Free Land Camp, hundreds
of people all over the world demonstrated in front of Brazilian
embassies. With banners, portraits of Indigenous leaders, music, art
performances and powerful speeches from the Brazilian community, the
message from the activists was clear: stand with the guardians of the
forest to save the Amazon.
Previous
Greenpeace activists protest in front of the
Brazilian Embassy in Buenos Aires to show their solidarity with the
Indigenous People in Brazil.
© Martin Katz / Greenpeace
Next
After years of decline, the
destruction of the Amazon rainforest is on the rise again. Since 2012,
an area the size of two soccer fields being cleared out every single
minute. Losing the forest means losing life, not only for the Indigenous
Peoples who depend on it for their livelihood but for all of us. From
more destructive hurricanes to record-breaking heat waves, the world is
already seeing the effects of climate breakdown. We must act now to curb
carbon emissions and keep the planet’s average temperature below 1.5ºC.
Indigenous Lands are the most
successful way to protect the forest from destruction, but instead of
fulfilling its constitutional duties, Bolsonaro’s administration has
proposed to stop recognizing Indigenous Lands and open them up to the
mining, logging and agriculture industries. That’s why Indigenous
Peoples in Brazil need everyone in the world to support them and show
they are not resisting alone.
Join the movement – stand with the guardians of the forest to save the Amazon.
about the author
Diego Gonzaga is a content editor for Greenpeace International based in San Francisco, US.
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