How Did Jair Bolsonaro’s Presidency in Brazil Cause an International Concern for the Amazons and its Indigenous People?

Research Article
Written By Sheetal Joshi

Introduction

The Amazon, a tropical rainforest expanding over multiple countries in South America, is a biodiversity hotspot. Nearly 60% of the rainforest sits in the northwestern region of Brazil and extends into Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Guyana and Suriname (WWF UK 2024). The Amazon rainforest is geopolitically significant due to its role as a critical environmental, economic, and cultural resource. It is home to diverse indigenous communities whose land and sovereignty are protected under international agreements like the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). These protections are vital for preserving human rights and addressing illegal activities such as mining, logging, and land-grabbing, which threaten not only local ecosystems but also global biodiversity and climate stability (Vallejos & Veit 2023; Cowie 2023). While the Amazon being the home to many indigenous communities, also functions as a "global lung," influencing climate patterns and carbon sequestration. Hence its preservation is not only a matter of national sovereignty for Amazonian countries but a shared global responsibility to ensure climate resilience and uphold indigenous rights in alignment with international legal standards​ (Cowie 2023). However, the Brazilian government failed to not only protect the Amazon rainforests and its indigenous community but former president Jair Bolsonaro’s government perpetuated the deforestation of over 7600 sq. km in nine months (Barreira & Angelo 2022). 

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Bolsonaro’s Presidency Re-Engaging In Colonial Legacies and Negatively Impacting The Indigenous Peoples

Jair Bolsonaro's presidency in Brazil (2019–2022) sparked significant international concern for the Amazon rainforest and its indigenous populations. Bolsonaro implemented policies that weakened environmental protection agencies, halted the demarcation of indigenous lands, emboldened illegal deforestation, land grabbing and cut resources to critical organizations like Funai; National Indigenous Foundation (Henna 2022). Funding cuts for agencies monitoring deforestation actively undermined the rights of indigenous communities. By stripping environmental agencies of power and oversight, Bolsonaro ignored the rights of indigenous people to their land, culture, and self-determination enshrined in the 1988 Constitution and international conventions like ILO 169, which Brazil is a party to. PL 191/2020 the proposed laws opened Indigenous lands to mining and resource extraction, undermining constitutional safeguards for Indigenous territories. Under Bolsonaro, violence against Indigenous communities escalated, including territorial invasions, illegal resource exploitation, and direct attacks like murders and land encroachment. These policies have caused irreversible environmental damage, including loss of biodiversity and carbon sequestration capacity, while displacing indigenous populations and exposing them to violence and disease (Alcantara 2024). The government failed to provide adequate healthcare and education to Indigenous peoples, further violating constitutional protections (Henna 2022).

Bolsonaro's policies towards the Amazon and indigenous peoples’ reflect enduring colonial legacies, including exploitation of natural resources and marginalization of native populations. Colonial-era practices treated the Amazon as a frontier for economic gain, prioritizing extraction of resources over the well-being of its ecosystems and inhabitants. Bolsonaro perpetuated this mindset by promoting agribusiness, mining, and logging, weakening protections for indigenous lands, and sidelining indigenous voices in decision-making processes. His administration justified these policies using colonial narratives of "progress" and development, framing indigenous claims to land and conservation as obstacles to Brazil's economic growth​ (Gual 2023; Goodman 2019). His rhetoric mirrored colonial ideologies that marginalized native populations and disregarded their sovereignty (Henna 2022). 

Youth Activism and Digital Advocacy 

But Bolsonaro’s policies and activities against the Amazon and the indigenous community didn’t lead to inaction in the country. Youth-led movements by indigenous youth like Paulo Paulino Guajajara, who combined technology and grassroots organizing to monitor and protect lands from invasions, often risking their lives (Henna 2022). Young activists and indigenous groups utilized platforms like Twitter and Instagram to amplify the urgency of protecting the Amazon and respecting indigenous rights. Campaigns such as #ActForTheAmazon mobilized international awareness, pressuring governments and organizations to adopt sustainable practices. This movement highlighted the necessity of decolonizing environmental governance, emphasizing the leadership of indigenous communities in conservation efforts. By incorporating indigenous perspectives and foregrounding their voices, youth advocates decolonized the conversation, moving away from narratives that positioned external actors as "saviors" of the Amazon. Instead, they framed indigenous communities as the rightful stewards of their lands and positioned global solidarity as a means to amplify their agency (Dantes & Alemán 2023). They highlighted how colonialism disrupted indigenous ways of life, exploited their resources, and denied their sovereignty. Through digital advocacy, youth activists connected these historical injustices to contemporary policies, illustrated how Bolsonaro’s actions systemic inequalities rooted in colonial history and amplified voices for the indigenous and the environment with a global audience (Gual 2023). Youth-led movements are working hard to shift global perceptions of the Amazon from a commodity to a site of cultural and environmental significance (Dantes & Alemán 2023).

Policy Recommendation

Recognising the enduring and deeply rooted colonial legacies in contemporary Brazil should not result in inaction. Instead, it should serve to promote a deeper understanding of the root causes of the country’s patterns of inequality and environmental degradation (Souza 2024). 

  1. Strengthening Indigenous Land Rights and Legal Protections: The Brazilian government must prioritize the formal recognition and protection of indigenous territories. Supporting indigenous self-determination by implementing policies that respect traditional land management practices and fortifying legal frameworks to combat illegal activities like deforestation and mining is crucial​ (Gemaque & Dos Santos 2023; Amazon Team 2024). 

  2. Inclusive Governance through Intercultural Education: A shift toward culturally relevant education for indigenous communities is vital to empower youth in defending their territories and fostering leadership. Local movements like those led by Munduruku and Ribeirinho youth can enhance awareness by creating advocacy materials for local and global audiences (Gemaque & Dos Santos 2023; Amazon Team 2024).

  3. Cross-Border Collaboration and Youth Engagement: ACTO can foster cross-border collaboration between Brazil, Colombia, and Peru to enhance environmental governance through community-based monitoring systems. Scaling up youth-led advocacy campaigns using digital tools is crucial to amplifying indigenous voices globally and supporting initiatives that empower indigenous youth to express their connection to the land and influence policy decisions (Gemaque & Dos Santos 2023; Amazon Team 2024).

Conclusion 

Jair Bolsonaro's presidency underscored the fragility of Brazil's environmental governance, exacerbating deforestation and violating indigenous rights through policies that perpetuated colonial legacies (Henna 2022; Gual 2023). These actions caused irreversible damage to the Amazon’s biodiversity and displaced its indigenous populations, amplifying global environmental and human rights concerns (Alcantara 2024; HRW 2022). Youth-led movements and indigenous advocacy demonstrated the transformative potential of digital platforms to counteract these threats and decolonize governance narratives (Dantes & Alemán 2023). Moving forward, policy reforms prioritizing indigenous sovereignty, education, and regional collaboration are essential to protecting the Amazon and ensuring equitable environmental governance (Gemaque & Dos Santos 2023; Souza 2024).

Bibliography

Sheetal Joshi

Sheetal Joshi is a recent graduate with a passion for working in the human rights field. She has been living abroad for almost five years which is the same number of languages she speaks. She is originally from Mumbai, India, and is currently based in Brussels, Belgium.

She holds a Distinction Honours M.A. in Political Strategy and Communication with a European Union External Relations specialization from the University of Kent and a Cum Laude Honours B.A. in Global Studies with an International Security and Conflict specialization from the University of South Carolina. She has previous experience in Research, Advocacy, Foreign Policy, Security Policy and Conflict Resolution. She is knowledgeable in language rights & conflict, humanitarian aid, crisis communication, and post-colonialism.

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