Amazon tribes gather to plan resistance to Brazil government

JANUARY 14, 2020 / 1:26 PM / UPDATED AN HOUR AGO
Leonardo Benassatto
3 MIN READ

XINGU INDIGENOUS PARK, Brazil (Reuters) - Brazilian indigenous leaders on Tuesday began a four-day tribal gathering in the Amazon to plan their opposition to far-right President Jair Bolsonaro’s push to open their reservations for commercial mining and agriculture.

Protected tribal lands have seen increasing invasions by illegal loggers and miners since Bolsonaro became president last year, leading to a rise in deforestation, fires and deadly clashes on several reservations.

Bolsonaro has vowed to integrate Brazil’s roughly 900,000 indigenous people into the broader economy and society, while tapping the mineral riches and commercial farming potential of their 462 reservations.

Environmentalist say such a move will speed up clearing of the Amazon jungle, the world’s largest tropical rainforest, which is considered vital for slowing global climate change.

This week’s gathering at a village in the Xingu park was hosted by Kayapó chief Raoni Metuktire, who became a global reference for his environmental campaigning in the 1980s with musician Sting at his side.

More:
https://in.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-indigenous/amazon-tribes-gather-to-plan-resistance-to-brazil-government-idINKBN1ZD2HQ