The Brazilian Ministry of Justice awarded Jair Bolsonaro the medal for “indigenous merit” awarded to personalities who act for the good of these communities, despite the fact that the president is widely criticized for promoting the economic exploitation of their territories.
The measure was published this Wednesday in the Official Gazette “in recognition of the relevant services of an altruistic nature, related to the well-being, protection and defense of indigenous communities.”
Some twenty collaborators were also decorated, including the Minister of Justice, Anderson Torres, who awarded the medal to Bolsonaro, as well as the ministers of Agriculture, Tereza Cristina, Infrastructure, Tarcísio Gomes, and Defense, Walter Braga Netto. .
The far-right president came to power in 2019 with his promise not to demarcate “not one more centimeter” of land for indigenous people, who represent 0.5% of the 212 million Brazilians and whose reserves occupy 13% of the vast Brazilian territory.
He also promised to open existing reserves, already hard hit by deforestation, illegal mining and the illegal timber trade, to extractive activities.
Supported by its agribusiness allies in Congress, Bolsonarism is trying to speed up several projects considered harmful to indigenous people and the environment, including one that seeks to legalize mining exploitation in reserves, something not regulated in the Constitution for now.
On Tuesday, the big mining companies operating in Brazil criticized that project and called for a broader debate, especially with the indigenous people.
Last year, the Articulation of the Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB) denounced Bolsonaro before the International Criminal Court (CPI) for his “anti-indigenous policy”, which they describe as “genocide” and “ecocide”, especially during the pandemic, which caused the death of more than 1,200 indigenous people. (I)
Source: Eluniverso
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