Last Wednesday (24), the Chamber of Deputies approved an urgent request for Bill 490, which deals with the time frame for the demarcation of indigenous lands, by a large majority. There were 324 votes in favor of a quick processing of the project that harms the demarcation of indigenous lands in Brazil and only 131 against.
Of the eight parliamentarians of the Federal District, only Reginaldo Veras (PV) and Erika Kokay (PT) voted against the urgency request.
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“We have an extremely conservative congress with these minority rights agendas. So, if we don’t articulate well, we will lose, unfortunately”, analyzed Regional Veras. The deputy defends that a new discussion be started from the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples. “No one understands indigenous issues better than the indigenous people themselves”.
Deputy Erika Kokay (PT) said that the approval of the urgency of the time frame in the demarcation of indigenous lands meets the interests of the Bolsonarist agenda. “We continue in the struggle in the Chamber of Deputies against the genocide of the indigenous population. Brazil is indigenous territory”, highlighted the deputy after the approval of the urgency of PL 490.
From the DF bench, deputies Alberto Fraga (PL), Bia Kicis (PL), Fred Linhares (Republicans), Gilvan Máximo (Republicans), Prof. Paulo Fernando (Republicans) and Rafael Prudente (MDB).
O Brazil in fact DF contacted all parliamentarians, through the press office, to justify their votes, but only one responded.
Deputy Alberto Fraga justified that he voted for the urgency of PL 490 so that the issue was “resolved” quickly. “I voted for urgency and I will also vote on merit, because I understand that this issue of land demarcation has to be resolved once and for all. Today, indigenous people own 14% of the Brazilian territory,” said the deputy.
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Marco temporal
The temporal framework thesis is based on the idea that indigenous populations would only have the right to land if they were in possession of the area or in a legal dispute over it on October 5, 1988. That was the date of enactment of the current Federal Constitution. PL490 uses this idea and restricts the demarcation of indigenous lands to those already traditionally occupied by these peoples until the date of promulgation of the Constitution.
The matter is also scheduled to be discussed at the Federal Supreme Court (STF). The president of the court, minister Rosa Weber, announced for June 7 the resumption of the judgment of Extraordinary Appeal (RE) 1017365, with general repercussions, which discusses whether the date of enactment of the Federal Constitution should be adopted as a time frame for defining traditional occupation land by indigenous peoples.
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The Minister of Indigenous Peoples, Sônia Guajajara, used her social networks to criticize Congress for voting on the urgency of PL 490. “Demarcating indigenous lands is to defend our lives and our democracy, above all, it is to defend our country in the face of the climate crisis, since We, indigenous peoples, are responsible for preserving 80% of the world’s biodiversity,” said the minister.
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Source: BdF Distrito Federal
Editing: Flavia Quirino
