Several Indigenous peoples' rights organizations have documented threats against Indigenous peoples by Bolsonaro supporters. | Photo: Cimi.org​

Brasilia, September 8 (RHC)-- Thousands of indigenous women began to occupy the city of Brasilia to participate in a series of events and debates to make their demands visible and elaborate a final text that gathers their claims.

The Second March of Indigenous Women, organized by the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB), which brings together representatives of 150 native peoples from all over the country, plans to carry out its work until September 11th.

So far, there are 4,000 women, who, starting this Wednesday, began their activities in the space of the National Foundation of Arts (FUNARTE), in Brasília.

The indigenous women's program was dedicated to receive the delegations that arrived the day before in the capital, when more than 170 Brazilian cities held demonstrations against President Jair Bolsonaro.

The first activities were of orientation to the women and tests for the COVID-19, indicated spokespersons of the coordination of the II National March of Indigenous Women.

The National Association of Indigenous Women Warriors of Ancestrality (Anmiga) stressed that the meeting coincides with the trial being conducted by the Supreme Federal Court (STF) on the so-called temporary framework that will define the life of indigenous peoples and the future of the demarcation of their lands in Brazil.

"If the thesis is endorsed we will have demarcation paralyzed and certainly requests for review of lands already demarcated," explains Paloma Gomes, legal advisor to the Indigenous Missionary Council (Cimi).

"We will have even more absence of public policies aimed at indigenous peoples, we will have more violence, more expulsions of native peoples.  In short, a process of absolute extermination of culture and indigenous peoples in our country," adds the lawyer.

The demonstrators will join the approximately 1,000 indigenous people remaining from the "Luta pela Vida" (Fight for Life) camp, which began on August 22 and gathered 6,000 people. According to Apib, which organized the event, it was the largest indigenous mobilization in the history of Brazil. 

For three weeks in the federal capital and in the territories, indigenous peoples have been mobilizing in defense of their native rights and against the anti-indigenous agenda of the government of President Jair Bolsonaro and the National Congress.