Amid Political and Economic Pressure, Brazil Sees a Rise in Land Conflicts and the Murders of Indigenous People

• 258 Indigenous people were murdered in Brazil in 2025, according to the latest report from the Missionary Indigenist Council (Cimi), indicating a rise in violence exceeding figures from the previous government.
• Violence is fundamentally linked to ongoing disputes over land rights, with systemic failures in protection and rising political pressure to halt land demarcation.
• Indigenous communities are also facing a public health crisis, including rising suicide rates among youth and high numbers of preventable infant deaths.

The Legal Conflict Over Territory

• While the 1988 Constitution recognizes Indigenous rights to traditionally occupied lands as original, legislative bodies continue to pursue the "Marco Temporal" (milestone thesis).
• If enacted, this framework would restrict land claims to territories occupied on October 5, 1988, potentially disenfranchising communities displaced by the State.
• Despite two Supreme Court rulings declaring the thesis unconstitutional, Congress has attempted to bypass the decision through constitutional amendments.
• Currently, 897 Indigenous territories remain pending regularization, with 582 having not yet begun the formal demarcation process.

Economic Drivers of Insecurity

• Economic pressure to expand industrial activity—including mining on Indigenous lands, infrastructure projects for grain transport, and oil/gas exploration—is exacerbating conflict.
• Research suggests 84 Indigenous territories are at risk from oil and gas ventures, often conducted without mandatory community consultation.
• Indigenous leaders, such as Tipuici Manoki, report that violence is intensifying rather than abating, noting that their fight for land is also a fight for biodiversity and climate stability.
• Federal authorities are currently investigating the July 2025 beheading of an Avá Guaraní man in Paraná, a case that highlights the lethal nature of ongoing threats against Indigenous land defenders.