Brazilian Indigenous Peoples Protest Against Illegal Mining

On Monday, over 6,000 representatives of Indigenous peoples marched in Brasilia to demand an end to illegal mining in Amazon reserves

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The Indigenous people mobilized peacefully along the Esplanade of the Ministries until they reached the Mines and Energy Ministry, where they used mud and red paint to represent the death caused by illegal mining.

Brazilian flags and gigantic boxes simulating gold bars were painted red to reject extractive business activities in the world's largest tropical forest.  In 2021, the Amazon basin lost 13,235 square kilometers of vegetation. This figure was the highest recorded over the last 15 years.

The “March against the Illegal Miner Who Kills and Deforests” occurred at a time when Brazilian lawmakers are processing a bill to legalize informal mining within the Indigenous reserves. These Amazonian territories have been under permanent siege since the far-right President Jair Bolsonaro came to power in 2019.

"Illegal mining prompts violence and violations of the rights of Indigenous peoples. Its actions cause an enormous social disorganization, which threatens these peoples' physical and cultural survival," said Danicley de Aguiar, spokeswoman for the Greenpeace Amazon campaign.

Over 172 Brazilian ethnic groups are taking part in the 2022 Free Land Camp, which will be installed in Brasilia until April 14, according to the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB).

Currently, illegal mining and timber trade are the main causes of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. Their effects have increased due to the relaxation of control policies carried out by Bolsonaro, who publicly defends the economic exploitation of the Amazon and the end of the concession of new Indigenous reserves.