Indigenous leaders present at the Free Land Camp (Acampamento Terra Livre) demonstration in Brasília on Thursday (Apr. 9) delivered a document to representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Relations proposing the creation of zones free from oil and gas exploration in Brazil and the inclusion of indigenous territories at the center of the global climate strategy.

These fossil fuel–free zones, demonstrators say, would be areas off-limits to exploration in regions of high ecological and cultural significance.

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In general terms, the letter outlines recommendations concerning the “global roadmap” for the energy transition, which was proposed by the Brazilian government at the recent COP30 and has yet to gain consensus. “There can be no just energy transition without safeguarding our territories,” stated Dinamam Tuxá, executive coordinator of the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB), which organizes the rally.

The demarcation and protection of indigenous lands are concrete measures to address the climate crisis, he argued.

“By ignoring this, the world chooses to maintain a model that destroys life. Recognizing indigenous leadership paves the way for a more balanced, diverse, and truly sustainable future.”

Changes

The document signed by indigenous leaders and submitted to the Brazilian government aims to influence international negotiations and contribute to the creation of a new development paradigm.

“Addressing the climate crisis requires not only technological changes, but also a profound redefinition of the relationships between the economy, territory, and rights,” APIB reported.

The letter calls for an immediate end to the development of new oil, gas, and coal fields, as well as the creation of a binding global agreement for the phased elimination of fossil fuels.

“The climate crisis is already affecting food production, health, the economy, and the security of nations. The cost of inaction grows every day,” the organization points out. In the view of its representatives, it is essential that their territories be recognized as priority areas for climate protection and biodiversity conservation.

Examples

The entity argues that the initiative is in line with international examples – such as Ecuador’s decision to halt oil exploration in Yasuní National Park and restrictions adopted in other Latin American countries.

The proposal also emphasizes that a just energy transition depends on the full recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples – including the right to free, prior, and informed consultation.

Data presented in the document show that indigenous territories have significantly lower rates of deforestation and play a central role in protecting ecosystems and global climate stability.

Since last Sunday, the Free Land Camp demonstration has been bringing together indigenous people from various ethnic groups in Brasília. Organizers estimate around 8 thousand people are in attendance.

In an open letter released during the Free Land Camp (Acampamento Terra Livre) demonstration, in Brasília, indigenous organizations accuse the Brazilian Congress of treating the constitutional rights of indigenous people as “bargaining chips” in negotiations with private sectors, particularly agribusiness and mining.

“We condemn the fact that the National Congress functions as a machine of regression, acting as an enemy of [indigenous] peoples, launching daily attacks on our lives, and subjecting our rights to a bargaining table,” the text reads.

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This edition of the rally – referred to as ATL 2026 – is bringing together thousands of indigenous people in Brasília from Sunday, April 5, through April 11.

“They have turned the people’s house into a gambling den. They want to gamble in the National Congress, where our rights become a bargaining chip between lawmakers and private sectors, with national and foreign companies and corporations profiting off our lives,” the letter states.

Signed by the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB), the association organizing the mobilization, and by seven other entities covering the entire national territory, the letter criticizes the executive, legislative, and judicial branches – especially the federal government – for the delay in defining federal territories designated for the exclusive use of indigenous people.

Under the Brazilian Constitution, in effect since 1988, the federal government should have completed the demarcation of indigenous lands within five years of its enactment – i.e., by 1993.

“The timid demarcation of only a few indigenous lands fails to fulfill the political commitment to guarantee all our territories,” the associations point out.

They maintain that the government’s “inaction” has contributed to an atmosphere of insecurity, with rising cases of violence, invasions of recognized, demarcated, or claimed indigenous areas, and the illegal exploitation of natural resources.

“The federal government has an obligation to demarcate and protect indigenous territories and lives, as well as to guarantee free, prior, and informed consultation. We demand concrete action for land regularization, territorial protection, and respect for the autonomy and leadership of our peoples,” the document says.

Indigenous organizations, however, acknowledge progress, such as the creation of the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples and the formal recognition of 20 indigenous areas from January 2023 to November 2025, following a four-year hiatus from 2019 to 2022.

“Indigenous presence in institutional spaces has advanced as a direct result of our struggle,” the groups point out, citing the presence of historic leaders of the movement at the helm of bodies responsible for managing public policies and the growing number of representatives from the community in Congress, state assemblies, and municipal councils.

New Policy

In a statement to Agência Brasil, the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples emphasized that the creation of the ministry in 2023 led to indigenous people assuming strategic and decision-making roles, as the indigenous movement itself has acknowledged.

“The creation of the ministry marked a break from the paternalistic approach that had guided indigenous policy for decades,” the statement says.

Decisions regarding the rights and needs of Brazil’s more than 391 indigenous peoples are now made by individuals who are familiar with and understand their demands and challenges, the ministry states.

Among the key initiatives undertaken over the past four years to guarantee the rights and safety of indigenous people is the official recognition of 20 indigenous territories, equivalent to some 2.5 million hectares of protected land across 11 states, the ministry reports.

The 6th edition of the Walk of Silence for Victims of State Violence took place this Sunday (Mar. 29) in São Paulo. The gathering was held in front of the former DOI-Codi/SP building, one of the main centers of repression and torture during the Brazilian military dictatorship (1964–1985), which was established after the military coup of March 31, 1964.

The demonstration moved through the streets of the southern zone toward the Monument in Honor of the Political Dead and Disappeared in Ibirapuera Park, under Military Police escort.

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Organized by the Voices of Silence Movement - an initiative of the Vladimir Herzog Institute and the Center for the Preservation of Political Memory - the event brought together hundreds of people, including relatives of victims and human rights groups.

Under the motto “learning from the past to build the future,” the organizations not only honored the memory of the victims of the military dictatorship but also denounced the continued persistence of state violence over the decades, even after the return to democracy.

Lorrane Rodrigues, coordinator of the Memory, Truth, and Justice program at the Vladimir Herzog Institute, highlighted the importance of discussing the impacts of the dictatorship even after the return to democracy. “The military dictatorship is often seen, in the collective imagination, as something static, frozen in time - as if what happened during that period were a thing of the past, and there were no need to talk about or discuss it.”

“The march’s motto raises this discussion: trying to understand the impacts of the military dictatorship on the present, on our contemporary society, so we can reflect on the future,” Rodrigues added, emphasizing the need to strengthen democracy.

“We also need to reflect on the construction of this democracy, because the way it is today is not enough; it remains inequitable for a significant portion of the population. The march seeks to connect the past and the present in a more tangible way for people,” she explained. According to her, one of the tools for advancing memory, truth, and justice is the set of recommendations from the National Truth Commission.

“There are 49 recommendations for the [Brazilian] government, and so far - from the time they were issued until now - they have been largely unfulfilled or only partially implemented. We already have a process in place: the institute monitors the recommendations every two years. What we’ve observed are small steps, some significant advances, but very little compared to what the recommendations envision for society,” she noted.

The executive director of the Vladimir Herzog Institute, Rogério Sotilli, stated in a note that the Walk of Silence was born as a collective response to authoritarianism and attempts at historical erasure. He emphasized that the military dictatorship left a legacy of impunity, which is still reflected in the state violence the country experiences today.

“After five editions, we want to recapture the spirit that gave rise to this demonstration. We have been living in times when defending the democratic rule of law has largely been left to the highest institutions, yet we continue to face serious attacks on democracy. That is why now is the time to take to the streets and once again demonstrate our strength,” Sotilli emphasized.

More than 30 civil society organizations, social movements, and human rights groups took part in the initiative.

Toward the end of the event, the organizers read the march’s manifesto, which includes the following passage:

“It has never been more important to defend democracy. And we must never forget: this struggle is ongoing.

We must remember so as not to repeat the past. We must hold on to our memories so as not to forget our history.

Without memory, violence becomes normalized. Without truth, lies become institutionalized. And without justice, barbarism repeats itself.”

Next, the names of the victims of state violence during the dictatorship were read aloud, including Vladimir Herzog, after whom the organizing institute is named. After each name, the protesters chanted in unison: “Present.”