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Brazil election puts unprecedented Indigenous ministry at risk if FlΓ‘vio Bolsonaro wins

β€œWith a single stroke of a pen, he can undo all the achievements we have accomplished in these almost four years,” said the Minister of Indigenous Peoples, Eloy Terena, regarding a possible victory of the far-right candidate, Senator FlΓ‘vio Bolsonaro, for Brazil’s Presidency. β€œWe are very concerned.” With 47.03% of the vote, FlΓ‘vio topped the first round of the presidential election on Oct. 4, despite voting polls showing current President Luiz InΓ‘cio Lula da Silva as the favorite for reelection. β€œIf elected, one of the first ministries that will be abolished is the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples,” Terena told Mongabay by phone. β€œFor us, this is a given, because it’s a government that has no commitment to Indigenous peoples.” The candidates face a runoff on Sunday, Oct. 25. The unprecedented Ministry of Indigenous Peoples (MPI) was created by Lula in January 2023, fulfilling a promise to native peoples who supported his candidacy. Sonia Guajajara was appointed minister, the first time an Indigenous person led a ministry. β€œThe creation of the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples has a very great symbolic, but also effective, power, because it is a government that comes precisely after a period in which Indigenous peoples were extremely attacked during Bolsonaro’s administration,” said Terena, who took office in March when Sonia left the ministry to run for reelection as a federal deputy for SΓ£o Paulo. The unprecedented Ministry of Indigenous Peoples was created by President Lula in January 2023. Sonia Guajajara was appointed minister, marking the first time…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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