In Brazil, the Supreme Federal Court found the law limiting the land rights of indigenous people unconstitutional. Locals celebrated the decision with tears of joy.
In Brazil, the Supreme Federal Court (STF) ruled to protect the land rights of indigenous people and found the law limiting these rights unconstitutional.
Brazilian natives from different tribes, who watched the case on giant screens set up in front of the court and in the squares in the capital Brasilia, celebrated the decision with tears of joy.
Nine of the court’s 11 judges opposed the «temporary framework» (Marco Temporal) bill, which proposes limiting the rights of indigenous people to the territories specified in the 1988 Brazilian Constitution. The judges cited the violation of constitutional guarantees regarding the rights of indigenous people on their ancestral lands as the reason for the rejection decision.
The restriction was requested in 1988 by the country’s powerful agri-business lobby, which wanted to deny them rights to land they do not live on.
Two justices voted in favor of the limitation, arguing that it would end land conflicts and provide security to farmers who have been cultivating the land for years to come.
Approval of the delimitation would require natives to prove that they lived on the land in question.
According to the latest census, approximately 1.6 million indigenous people live in Brazil, and their ancestral lands form an important part of their culture and livelihood. But many are displaced by dangers such as land grabbers, pirate loggers and illegal mining operators.
The Supreme Court’s decision could affect a bill aimed at limiting new Indian reservations that will be voted on by the Senate next week. (AA)