Mongabay · Natuur

Invaders storm Indigenous Amazon land, threatening isolated people

Approximately 200 individuals have invaded the Ituna/Itatá Indigenous Land in Brazil's Pará state since August 13, breaching Funai gates and establishing camps. This invasion follows the creation of the overlapping Bacajaí Environmental Protection Area, which authorities state has been exploited to justify land occupation.

Federal authorities have warned of an imminent risk of confrontation and potential genocide against Indigenous people living in voluntary isolation, urging the deployment of the National Force and Federal Police. A federal court ordered the Union and Funai to send Public Security Force teams within 48 hours to contain the invasion, but the deadline has passed without their arrival.

The invasion surge occurred after the creation of the Bacajaí Environmental Protection Area (APA Bacajaí) by a new state law that completely overlaps the federally protected Indigenous land. This overlap has created legal confusion, which land-grabbers are reportedly using to justify occupation for cattle ranching and other agricultural activities.

Federal prosecutors and the Public Defender’s Office have warned of an imminent risk of violent confrontation and possible genocide against the isolated Igarapé Ipiaçava people. Temporary land-use restriction orders had protected this vulnerable population since 2011, with Funai renewing the measure in 2025.

The first reported invasions occurred the day after Pará published the new state law creating APA Bacajaí, which covers about 142,400 hectares and overlaps entirely with Ituna/Itatá Indigenous Land. The bill, introduced by state representative Torrinho Torres, was unanimously approved.

The Public Defender’s Office noted that what began as indications of access route openings and destruction of territorial control structures on August 13 escalated into an established occupation with a significant concentration of people and demarcated plots by August 16.

A social media post by the mayor of Senador José Porfírio municipality celebrated the APA's creation as a "Promised Land," with local politicians discussing plans for cattle ranches and agricultural activities.

Official communications from the Public Defender’s Office and the federal public prosecutor’s office (MPF) linked the invasions to the state law. Approximately 200 armed invaders breached Funai gates and set up camps after Torrinho Torres announced the APA's creation.

A Funai spokesperson stated that agents faced multiple "situations" hindering their monitoring and protection work. The MPF warned that a lack of rapid response would "annihilate the rights of these groups, who depend on total isolation to avoid being exterminated by conflict or disease."

By August 24, the number of settlers had reportedly grown to around 500 people. Experts have noted the rapid escalation of the situation, which is rare in their experience monitoring such activities in Pará.

Ituna/Itatá has historically suffered from illegal invasions, losing significant forest cover. While federal operations had improved the situation in recent years, the creation of the APA, which is legally weaker than a Funai restricted area and allows private landowners to build homes and raise livestock, has raised concerns.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples (MPI) expressed concern that the APA's provisions for regularizing non-Indigenous occupations could encourage new invasions and amplify conflicts. Regional prosecutor Felício Pontes Júnior described the APA's creation as a "calculated strategy" to create legal confusion exploitable by land-grabbers, a pattern he noted often occurs during election periods.

Supporters of APA Bacajai, including Torrinho Torres, argue it recognizes the claims of smallholder farmers. However, evidence suggests many actors are involved in speculative land-grabbing, fraud, illegal deforestation, and organized land speculation. Torrinho Torres, a cattle rancher running for re-election, has framed the policy as a victory for family agriculture.

Experts have pointed to the inefficiency of state-run environmental protection areas, citing high deforestation rates in neighboring areas. In contrast, Funai restricted areas ban all outsiders, offering critical protection for uncontacted peoples vulnerable to disease.

A federal court decision on August 26 found the APA unconstitutional as it reduces the protection level for Ituna/Itatá. While not annulling the state law, the court ruled it cannot alter the federal protection regime. The court also mandated the deployment of Public Security Force teams within 48 hours, with a daily fine for non-compliance, but these teams have not yet arrived.

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