Brazil's Supreme Court Upholds Indigenous Land Protections Amid Legislative Pressure

Brazil's Supreme Court has reaffirmed protections for Indigenous land rights, opposing Congress's attempt to limit recognition of reservations. Six of the ten judges voted to establish these rights as constitutional, sending a strong message to Congress. The decision curbs legislative efforts amid ongoing land disputes.

Brazil's Supreme Court has decisively upheld protections for Indigenous land rights, thwarting efforts by the nation's Congress to restrict the recognition of reservations. The ruling, supported by six of the ten justices, positions Indigenous land rights as entrenched clauses of Brazil's constitution that lawmakers cannot alter.

The court's decision, described as a crucial message to Congress by former federal prosecutor Deborah Duprat, arrives against a backdrop of longstanding struggles to demarcate ancestral lands recognized in Brazil's 1988 constitution. Despite progress, many communities are still awaiting formal acknowledgment due to protracted legal and violent disputes.

Resistance to Indigenous claims has been reinforced recently by a strong farm lobby and conservative political forces. Earlier this year, the Senate moved to modify the constitution following a 2023 law that limits land protections, but some Supreme Court justices argue such amendments infringe on fundamental rights, which the legislative branch cannot suppress.

(With inputs from agencies.)