Berlin, Sao Paulo (epd). The Brazilian House of Representatives has dealt President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva a serious defeat by approving a law restricting indigenous rights. 283 parliamentarians voted in favor of the initiative on Tuesday (local time), 155 against it, as reported by the “G1” news portal. The law cannot come into force for the time being, as the basis for it is still being examined before the Supreme Court. But the vote is seen as a weakening for Lula, who campaigned to strengthen the rights of indigenous peoples.
The controversial project dates back to the time of right-wing extremist President Jair Bolsonaro, who wanted to promote economic exploitation in the Amazon rainforest. The “Marco temporal” project is based on a controversial legal deadline that large landowners, for example, interpret in such a way that indigenous peoples can only claim land where they lived before the 1988 constitution. However, many indigenous peoples were expelled from their original land and would never have a chance to return. In addition, invaders who had to give back indigenous lands could claim compensation.
The regulation would create more legal security for landowners and protect farmers from expropriation, argue supporters, including the powerful agricultural lobby in Brazil. The Supreme Court has been analyzing for years whether this interpretation of the law is constitutional. The draft law that has now been passed by Parliament will now first be forwarded to the Senate for confirmation. After that, Lula could still veto it.
Indigenous Minister Sônia Guajajara spoke on Twitter of a serious attack on the rights of indigenous people. She called on indigenous peoples to protest against the law.
President Lula promised when he took office in January that this policy would be reversed. In April he signed decrees that designated indigenous protected areas for the first time since 2018. The decree guarantees the indigenous people exclusive use of the natural resources in these areas. The land may not be sold, and mining is also prohibited. Overall, Brazil has 732 indigenous areas, which make up around 14 percent of the state territory.