On February 5, Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro launched a bill to legalize mining and hydroelectric power projects, industrial agriculture, and the exploration of oil and natural gas deposits in indigenous protected areas. Indigenous organizations had strongly criticized the bill. At a meeting with Brazil's indigenous umbrella organization APIB yesterday, the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Rodrigo Maia, stated that the draft law 191/2020 will put on hold in the Chamber for the time being. Maia is planning to set up a special commission to analyze the project.

"The legislative initiative was a frontal attack by the Bolsonaro government on indigenous territories," explained Regina Sonk, expert on indigenous peoples at the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP). "Yesterday's decision is an important stage victory for the indigenous communities in trying to stop Bolsonaro's attacks on their rights." The Brazilian constitution requires that affected indigenous communities have to be consulted before any such activities can take place on their land. To date, this had not been done. The draft law 191 was intended to weaken this right by getting rid of the right to veto provided that the indigenous communities did not agree to a project after consultation.

APIB considers the bill a 'death project'. The draft contains passages that suggest good intentions towards the indigenous peoples, suggesting initiatives to improve their economic situation. In reality, however, this is mere rhetoric designed to cover up the real interests, namely the invasion of indigenous territories as well as attempts to provoke a split between the different indigenous communities. The draft is designed to restrict their autonomy and to cut down on the protection of their territories.  

Thus, the threats are only averted for the time being: "Bolsonaro has been trying to open up indigenous territories for the exploitation of raw materials for quite a while," Sonk warned. "This bill will have further consequences. The indigenous peoples' struggle for land rights is far from over. Since taking office at the beginning of 2019, President Bolsonaro has pursued an openly hostile policy towards the country's indigenous communities. Among other things, he has cut funds, ousted authorities, and stopped the acknowledgement of new protected areas. Under his presidency, there has been a significant increase in slash-and-burn clearances, incursions into indigenous areas, and attacks on the people living there.