Escalation of violence against Indigenous communities in Brazil

According to the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP), the deaths of two members of the Guarani-Kaiowá in Brazil this month shines a light on the dramatic escalation of violence against Indigenous communities. On September 18, a 23-year-old-man was shot dead by police officers in Antônio João in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul – and a 16-year-old boy was found dead only a few days later, on September 23. According to the police, the death of the 16-year old was an accident, but several representatives of Indigenous communities suspect that he was killed intentionally. In Antônio João, there have recently been several violent clashes between the Indigenous community, farmers, and the police.

“In December 2023, a law was passed that cuts down on the land rights of Indigenous peoples – and attacks on Indigenous communities have increased significantly since then. We are urgently calling for independent investigations into these and other deaths,” stated Eliane Fernandes, STP expert on Indigenous peoples. “These murders are not to be seen as isolated cases, but as the consequence of a systematic criminal practice on the part of agribusiness – legitimized by the inaction of the Brazilian state,” stated the Association of the Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB).  

“The Brazilian government and the Supreme Court must no longer ignore the ongoing violence against Indigenous communities. The criminal activities in the fields of agribusiness, drug trafficking, and illegal mining on indigenous land must be stopped,” Fernandes demanded. The German government should initiate a critical review of its bilateral relations with Brazil – and actively try to ensure that the rights of Indigenous peoples are respected. “We need an import ban on agricultural products and raw materials from Brazil that are produced at the expense of the human rights of the Indigenous communities,” the human rights activist emphasized.

In December 2023, a law was passed in Brazil according to which Indigenous territories are only recognized as such if they were inhabited by Indigenous communities in 1988 – back when the constitution was promulgated. Although the Supreme Court decided that the so-called “Marco Temporal” law was unconstitutional, the Brazilian Congress passed it in December 2023, lifting a presidential veto. Right-wing politicians are now trying to incorporate this amendment into the constitution. An according amendment proposal (PEC 48/2023) was made. This proposal is a direct attack on the fundamental rights of Indigenous communities, and it facilitates changes of or invasions into already demarcated Indigenous territories,” the STP warned.