Terra Livre Camp should last 5 days and the organization hopes to bring together more than 6 thousand people; mobilization runs until April 26
The ATL (Acampamento Terra Livre) begins on Monday (April 22, 2024), in Brasília, which this year reaches its 20th edition. The country's main indigenous mobilization should bring together thousands of participants, representing the hundreds of indigenous ethnicities in Brazil. The expectation of Apib (National Articulation of Indigenous Peoples), which organizes the meeting, is that this is the most participatory ATL in history, surpassing the more than 6 thousand indigenous people last year.
With the motto “Our landmark is ancestral, we have always been here“, the 2024 edition will have as its priority precisely the fight against the time frame, a thesis according to which indigenous peoples would only have the right to the demarcation of lands that were occupied by them on the date of promulgation of the Constitution, on October 5, 1988.
This thesis had already been declared unconstitutional in a judgment by the STF (Supreme Federal Court), in September 2023, but was inserted into legislation through a bill approved by the National Congress, which was then vetoed by the president. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), but ended up maintained by congressmen in a veto override. Now, the expectation is that the STF will reaffirm the unconstitutionality of the measure.
The ATL will be held from April 22nd to 26th, with activities focused on the Ibero-American Cultural Axis. The extensive program includes debates, presentation of reports, marches to Praça dos Três Poderes and political activities in the National Congress, such as formal sessions, public hearings and meetings. Cultural presentations and exhibitions of crafts and indigenous art from all Brazilian biomes are also planned.
The event also begins days after President Lula signed the demarcation of two new indigenous lands. The resumption of demarcations began last year, precisely in the previous edition of the ATL, when 6 demarcation decrees were signed. Since then, the federal government has recorded 10 demarcations. The expectation of the indigenous movement, however, was that the federal government had completed at least 14 demarcations of areas, the result of processes in the final phase.
Violence and mental health
In addition to fighting the law that created the time frame and the pressure for more demarcations, Acampamento Terra Livre must denounce a new escalation of violence against indigenous people. According to Apib, citing a survey carried out by Coletivo Proteja, 6 indigenous leaders were murdered in the country after the enactment of the law that established the time frame, from December last year, when the legislation came into force, until the beginning of this year.
“In the same period, 13 conflicts were also mapped in territories located in seven states. One of the murders was that of the medicine man Nega Pataxó, from the Hã-Hã-Hãe people, during criminal action by the Military Police of the State of Bahia with the group 'Invasão Zero'. The leadership was signed in the resumption of the Caramuru-Paraguaçu territory, municipality of Potiraguá”points out the indigenous entity.
Another topic that will be addressed at ATL is suicide among indigenous people. According to Apib, a study carried out by researchers from Harvard Medical School (USA) and Cidacs/Fiocruz (Center for Data and Knowledge Integration for Health of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation) showed that the indigenous population leads the rates of suicide and self-harm in Brazil, but there are fewer hospitalizations.
“According to the study, this reveals the precariousness of medical care and mental health support for indigenous families. The research was carried out with data between 2011 and 2022 and published in The Lancet magazine. With this, leaders demonstrate concern for the mental health of indigenous people, especially those who face invasions in their territories and fight for their rights.“, says Apib.
With information from Brazil Agency
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