Jair Bolsonaro has many ways of denying indigenous people their right to land. ‘Why in Brazil do we have to keep indigenous prisoners in reserves as if they were animals in zoos?’ is one of them.
The President has promised there will be no more official demarcation of traditional indigenous land. At the same time, he has been working to ‘liberate’ the very same lands for economic exploitation by non-indigenous persons. His words have empowered cattle ranchers, soy farmers, loggers, miners and land grabbers. The invasion of indigenous lands and villages has been tolerated informally, resulting in escalating violence, including killings.
