August 26, 2021

08:08

Victória Sales – from Cenarium

MANAUS (AM)- The representative of the National Council of Extractive Populations (CNS), Dione Torquato, present at the protest at the Três Poderes Square, on Wednesday, 25, highlighted, in an exclusive interview to CENARIUM, that the indigenous people have not yet had any return from the Supreme Court (STF). Dione also stated that they expect the Temporal Mark to be annulled and that criteria that guarantees the rights of indigenous people be placed within the recommendations.

According to Dione, this is the last hope to guarantee the veto of the temporal mark. “If this is forwarded to the National Congress, in the scenario that we are in, the temporal mark will certainly be approved, so that is why we are in this mobilization march, trusting that the STF will give a favorable opinion to the indigenous people’s fight”, he emphasized.

Movement

When asked about the movement of the manifestation, the representative affirmed that it has the participation of more than 6,000 indigenous people of different people from all over the country and some organizations, support entities and social movements. “We, from the CNS, are here in solidarity with the indigenous people’s fight against the temporal mark, since the indigenous people’s right to have access to land is an ancestral right and cannot only be considered from 1988, as the temporal mark wants”, he highlighted.

Expectation

Dione explained that among the analyses that have arrived in order to have a certain confidence in the Congress is mainly due to the great movement that the indigenous people are marching, highlighting the importance of the territories and the struggle of these people. “But we also trust a lot in the international pressure, with the press coverage, the world is watching and we know that the STF in some cases is very sensitive to these issues of international repercussions”, she pointed out.

Temporal Mark

The Supreme Federal Court (STF) judges, this Wednesday, 25th, the application of the temporal landmark rule that will affect more than 300 demarcations of indigenous lands that are in process in Brazil, a fundamental right and provided for in the Constitution of the Federative Republic of Brazil (CRFB). The measure is defended mainly by ruralists. According to their understanding, an indigenous land can only be demarcated if it is proven that indigenous people were in a certain area.

According to the reporter of the case, Minister Edson Fachin, the thesis is promoting an “ethnocide” and with it the elimination of cultural elements of a certain group. The decision will mainly affect the repossession suit filed by the government of Santa Catarina against the Xokleng people.

Demarcation

Demarcation guarantees the right to land, establishing protection and limits around the demarcated area and preventing irregular occupations. In Brazil, more than 421 indigenous lands are being ratified, with more than 106 million hectares and more than 460 thousand indigenous people. The approval of the temporal mark puts several claims in check. On June 22, indigenous and police officers clashed in Brasília, in protest against the approval of the law by the Constitution and Justice Commission (CCJ).

Jair Bolsonaro

On Tuesday, 24, the President of the Republic, Jair Bolsonaro, criticized the revision of the temporal mark and said that “it would be chaos for Brazil and also a great loss for the world. According to Bolsonaro, this would be a great loss for the rural producer.

“It was decided, when the demarcation of the Raposa Terra do Sol Indigenous Land was discussed here. It was decided that the area occupied by indigenous people until 1988 would be indigenous land. Unfortunately a new discussion has been opened within the Supreme Court. They want this date to be unspecified. Whether it is 2000, 2020 or in the future, the date that is best. If this happens, we can immediately have in front of us hundreds of new areas to be demarcated”, he pointed out.

“Besides the damage to the rural producer, many of whom have family members that have occupied that land for more than 100 years. Those lands that today are productive could cease to be productive. And other reserves, due to their geographical combination, could make other productive areas unviable. It would be chaos for Brazil and also a great loss for the world. We hope that our Supreme Federal Court does not change this date, this new time frame, which was set as 1988”, said Bolsonaro.

In addition, Bolsonaro stressed that the measures he has been taking, in relation to the demarcation of new indigenous and quilombola lands, are not with the intention of “pleasing the rural man”. “Today, the rural man no longer sleeps worried about the next day, that he could be woken up with an ordinance from the Ministry of Justice considering his farm as indigenous land. This has been removed. You have to have criteria, you have to be responsible and you have to have a legal guarantee to demarcate indigenous land”, he said.