Elections in Brazil (October 2)

This year, a total number of 182 indigenous candidates from 45 indigenous communities will be running in the upcoming elections in Brazil. They come from 24 federal states in the Amazon region – in the north-east, the south-east, the mid-west and the south of the country. The Brazilian people will elect, in addition to the new President, new governors as well as members of the Senate and Congress. The state parliaments in all 26 federal states will be voted on as well – with a total of 30 indigenous candidates. Further, 21 indigenous candidates are running for the Chamber of Deputies in Brasilia; three are running for governorship, and one for the Senate. One indigenous woman is running for vice president – together with the socialist presidential candidate Vera Lucia. 

“Due to the four years of anti-indigenous politics under Jair Bolsonaro, the indigenous movement of Brazil has become even more politicized. Indigenous representatives are trying to get involved at all political levels to represent their rights directly,” stated Dr. Eliane Fernandes, expert on indigenous peoples for the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP). “Since Bolsonaro took office, Brazil’s indigenous people have been suffering from huge setbacks, many human rights violations, and often deadly attacks on their communities.” Invasions of indigenous territories, land grabbing, and murders are hardly punished anymore. There has been an increase in violent attacks and invasions – especially during the Covid-pandemic. Without support from the respective authorities, the indigenous peoples of Brazil had to rely on partner organizations in the country and abroad to draw attention to the attacks and human rights violations.

Fernandes emphasized: “It is time for Brazil to elect a better, more humane President. At the same time, I am hoping that as many indigenous candidates as possible will be elected – so that they can assert their rights and stand up to the interests of large corporations. Nobody can represent indigenous interests better than they themselves.

Kerexu, a representative of the Mbya Guarani who is running for parliament in Brasilia, stated: “If a single Joenia Wapichana – who was elected as a congresswoman in 2018 – managed to mobilize part of the parliament to defend indigenous rights and to protect the environment – just imagine what two, three, or four indigenous women could achieve in parliament. She managed to work, as indigenous representatives do, in a collective manner.”

Sônia Guajajara, who is also running for parliament, stated: “We are not running in the election to gain power for the sake of having power. Our voices need to be heard. We are not only fighting on the level of politics – we are in a permanent struggle for survival.”