Presidential Candidate Already Defining His Indianist Policy
3/3/94
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/** rainfor.genera: 140.0 **/
** Topic: LULA AND HIS INDIANIST POLICY **
** Written 12:42 pm Mar 3, 1994 by ax:cimi in cdp:rainfor.genera
**
LULA, CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT OF BRAZIL,
HAS ALREADY DEFINED HIS INDIANIST POLICY
The candidate for president of Brazil whom the polls
indicate has 30% of all votes seven months before the
elections already knows the Indianist policy he will adopt if
elected. Lui's Ina'cio Lula da Silva, from the Workers' Party,
affirmed that he will demarcate all Indian lands whose
demarcation process has already begun within days from his
inauguration. The commitment is part of Lula's program, whose
final version will be approved in April. The statement is
extremely important to the Indians, considering that since
the first government agency in charge of Indian affairs was
created in Brazil, 80 years ago, only half of all Indian
lands were demarcated.
According to the program, the Indianist policy should be
based on the Constitution, which recognizes the special
collective rights of the Indians and provides that it is up
to the State to ensure them. The document says that the
Indians deserve a special treatment because of their unique
features: there are about 200 Indian peoples in the country,
totalling 250 thousand persons, which occupy 10% of the
Brazilian territory but 84% of whose lands have been invaded.
Regarding areas whose demarcation has not begun, measures
would be taken within the first 100 days of the new
administration.
When the document mentions the exploitation of natural
resources in Indian lands, it also refers to the
Constitution: the Indians have the exclusive right to enjoy
the riches found in the soil, rivers and lakes located in
those lands. Still according to the program, the water
resources available in lands occupied by Indians are to be
considered in the light of the energy policy adopted by the
country. Regarding miners, who have invaded many Indian
lands, they will be contemplated in the definition of a
mineral policy for Brazil.
ROADS AND THE XERENTE INDIANS
Because the paving of two roads that cut the lands of
the Xerente Indians has been interrupted in the state of
Tocantins, the governor and mayors of the region have become
increasingly aggressive toward the Indians. During a public
demonstration this week, the vice-mayor of Tocanti'nia,
Benedito Leite, said that the population should deny the
Xerente any access to the city until the works are resumed,
defying the constitutional right of any citizen to move about
freely.
Brasi'lia, March 3, 1994
CIMI - Indianist Missionary Council