Brazil: Silenced Genocides. IWGIA Report 27

How can indigenous peoples survive the dismantling of public policies and rights acquired by decades of work in Brazil? This process, resulting from setbacks to democracy, as described by the authors, shows that this is an emergency situation. There is a need to seek alternatives and for pressure from indigenous and civic organizations to help indigenous peoples exercise their rights. This report shows that pro-indigenous public policies are being gradually phased out and being left to wither.

Although indigenous movements are increasingly active and growing in strength, the Brazilian state and a part of civil society have undertaken an offensive with the clear objective of “integrating indigenous peoples into civilization”. However, several questions remain. How can decisions be made without free, prior and informed consultation? How can indigenous peoples achieve self-determination? What does development mean for these population groups and what alternatives do they propose? The fact that Brazil’s current president can say that they need “civilizing” betrays a strong and antiquated colonialist vision and threatens their extermination.

This report is also available in Portuguese / Este relatório também está disponível em português