The Ministry of Health this week released a new report on the situation of indigenous peoples in the Yanomami territory in Roraima, the country’s largest indigenous territory. It recorded an 80.8 percent reduction in malaria-related deaths between January 2023 and the end of 2025, after the Brazilian government declared a Public Health Emergency of National Importance (ESPIN) to address the humanitarian crisis caused by the invasion of illegal gold miners.

The report cites a 75.9 percent increase in the number of tests conducted through active case finding. Testing for the disease also rose from 144,986 to 257,930 in 2025.

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Deaths from malnutrition fell by a significant 53.2 percent between 2023 and 2025. During the same period, the share of children under five with adequate weight increased from 45.4 percent to 53.8 percent, according to the report.

There was an increase in the number of children receiving regular follow-up care from health teams, rising from 70.1 percent to 85.1 percent. Severe malnutrition also declined, with the share of children who were severely underweight falling from 24.2 percent to 15.2 percent during the period.

The number of consultations for acute respiratory infections increased by 254 percent between 2023 and 2025. As a result, the disease’s case fatality rate fell by 76 percent, while the number of deaths declined by 16.7 percent since the start of the Public Health Emergency response.

Vaccines

In the area of immunization, the Ministry of Health confirmed a 40 percent increase in the number of doses administered in 2025 compared with 2023, rising from 31,999 to 44,754. The percentage of children under one year of age with a complete vaccination schedule more than doubled during the period, rising from 27 percent in 2023 to 60.6 percent in 2025. Among children under five, the rate grew from 47.4 percent to 78.3 percent, reflecting stronger routine vaccination efforts.

According to the Ministry’s Secretary of Indigenous Health, Lucinha Tremembé, the results reflect expanded access to healthcare in the territory, reaffirming the government’s commitment to protecting lives and promoting the health of indigenous peoples.

“We are making steady progress in improving health in the Yanomami territory, with a reduction in deaths and, above all, in deaths from preventable causes such as malnutrition and malaria. These results reflect the current administration’s ongoing effort to strengthen the Brazilian government’s presence, ensuring comprehensive, high-quality care that respects the cultural specificities of indigenous peoples,” she noted.

Health services

Among the advances highlighted by the Brazilian government is the expansion of the healthcare workforce in the territory. Since the start of the health emergency, the number of professionals has more than tripled, rising from 690 to over 2,130 workers deployed directly in villages, at the Indigenous Health Center (CASAI) in Boa Vista, and within the facilities of the Yanomami Special Indigenous Health District.

In the area of infrastructure, the Yanomami Center for Emergency Public Health Operations highlighted the completion of 261 interventions in water supply systems, along with the installation of more than 1,400 filters, helping expand access to safe water.

The government also installed 61 solar energy systems and upgraded health facilities, strengthening the foundation for primary care in the territory.

Another important milestone during the national emergency period was the renovation and expansion of the Indigenous Health Reference Center (CRSI) at the Surucucu base camp, deep inside the territory.

Since its restructuring, the facility - which serves as a reference point within the indigenous territory - has provided 4,374 outpatient consultations. Of these, 2,081 were laboratory tests and 328 were ultrasound exams. The facility serves 48 communities and handles most patient transfers to higher-capacity healthcare facilities in the region.

“This specialized infrastructure has helped improve clinical management, strengthen community ties, and streamline care pathways,” the Ministry of Health said in the statement.

Representatives of the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB), the organization coordinating the Free Land Camp (Acampamento Terra Livre) in Brasília, delivered a seven-page letter on Thursday (Apr. 9) to the Brazilian president’s General Secretariat and the Ministry of Mines and Energy. In the document, they acknowledge progress in public policies but criticize delays in the demarcation of indigenous territories.

Titled “A sovereign Brazil is one with demarcated and protected indigenous lands,” the document notes that the current government was formed with the support of the indigenous movement to “rebuild the foundations of institutionality and democracy.”

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“It is necessary to recognize that important changes have taken place during this period,” the letter states.

Among these changes, they cited the creation of the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples, the presence of indigenous leaders in prominent government positions, and the reestablishment of spaces for dialogue.

However, the representatives believe these actions still fall short of what is needed.

“We acknowledge progress, but it still does not address the historical urgency or the Brazilian state’s debt to our peoples.”

A climate of violence

Indigenous peoples say there is a growing trend of territorial invasions, violence, and the criminalization of indigenous communities, leaders, and organizations.

“While some institutional frameworks have been rebuilt and there have been shifts in rhetoric, the concrete protection of indigenous territories and of the lives of indigenous peoples still needs greater consistency and continuity,” the letter reads.

Indigenous peoples argue that guaranteeing public policies is a permanent obligation of the Brazilian state.

The letter calls for measures in six areas:

• demarcation and protection of territories;
• consultation, participation, and self-determination;
• budgeting and permanent governance;
• life, security, and well-being;
• climate, ecological transition, and a ban on exploitation;
• memory, reparations, and the future of indigenous peoples.

Since last Sunday (5), various indigenous ethnic groups have gathered in Brasília, the country’s capital, for the Free Land Camp. According to the organizers, approximately 8,000 individuals are camped there.

Indigenous leaders present at the Free Land Camp (Acampamento Terra Livre) demonstration in Brasília on Thursday (Apr. 9) delivered a document to representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Relations proposing the creation of zones free from oil and gas exploration in Brazil and the inclusion of indigenous territories at the center of the global climate strategy.

These fossil fuel–free zones, demonstrators say, would be areas off-limits to exploration in regions of high ecological and cultural significance.

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In general terms, the letter outlines recommendations concerning the “global roadmap” for the energy transition, which was proposed by the Brazilian government at the recent COP30 and has yet to gain consensus. “There can be no just energy transition without safeguarding our territories,” stated Dinamam Tuxá, executive coordinator of the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB), which organizes the rally.

The demarcation and protection of indigenous lands are concrete measures to address the climate crisis, he argued.

“By ignoring this, the world chooses to maintain a model that destroys life. Recognizing indigenous leadership paves the way for a more balanced, diverse, and truly sustainable future.”

Changes

The document signed by indigenous leaders and submitted to the Brazilian government aims to influence international negotiations and contribute to the creation of a new development paradigm.

“Addressing the climate crisis requires not only technological changes, but also a profound redefinition of the relationships between the economy, territory, and rights,” APIB reported.

The letter calls for an immediate end to the development of new oil, gas, and coal fields, as well as the creation of a binding global agreement for the phased elimination of fossil fuels.

“The climate crisis is already affecting food production, health, the economy, and the security of nations. The cost of inaction grows every day,” the organization points out. In the view of its representatives, it is essential that their territories be recognized as priority areas for climate protection and biodiversity conservation.

Examples

The entity argues that the initiative is in line with international examples – such as Ecuador’s decision to halt oil exploration in Yasuní National Park and restrictions adopted in other Latin American countries.

The proposal also emphasizes that a just energy transition depends on the full recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples – including the right to free, prior, and informed consultation.

Data presented in the document show that indigenous territories have significantly lower rates of deforestation and play a central role in protecting ecosystems and global climate stability.

Since last Sunday, the Free Land Camp demonstration has been bringing together indigenous people from various ethnic groups in Brasília. Organizers estimate around 8 thousand people are in attendance.

In an open letter released during the Free Land Camp (Acampamento Terra Livre) demonstration, in Brasília, indigenous organizations accuse the Brazilian Congress of treating the constitutional rights of indigenous people as “bargaining chips” in negotiations with private sectors, particularly agribusiness and mining.

“We condemn the fact that the National Congress functions as a machine of regression, acting as an enemy of [indigenous] peoples, launching daily attacks on our lives, and subjecting our rights to a bargaining table,” the text reads.

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This edition of the rally – referred to as ATL 2026 – is bringing together thousands of indigenous people in Brasília from Sunday, April 5, through April 11.

“They have turned the people’s house into a gambling den. They want to gamble in the National Congress, where our rights become a bargaining chip between lawmakers and private sectors, with national and foreign companies and corporations profiting off our lives,” the letter states.

Signed by the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB), the association organizing the mobilization, and by seven other entities covering the entire national territory, the letter criticizes the executive, legislative, and judicial branches – especially the federal government – for the delay in defining federal territories designated for the exclusive use of indigenous people.

Under the Brazilian Constitution, in effect since 1988, the federal government should have completed the demarcation of indigenous lands within five years of its enactment – i.e., by 1993.

“The timid demarcation of only a few indigenous lands fails to fulfill the political commitment to guarantee all our territories,” the associations point out.

They maintain that the government’s “inaction” has contributed to an atmosphere of insecurity, with rising cases of violence, invasions of recognized, demarcated, or claimed indigenous areas, and the illegal exploitation of natural resources.

“The federal government has an obligation to demarcate and protect indigenous territories and lives, as well as to guarantee free, prior, and informed consultation. We demand concrete action for land regularization, territorial protection, and respect for the autonomy and leadership of our peoples,” the document says.

Indigenous organizations, however, acknowledge progress, such as the creation of the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples and the formal recognition of 20 indigenous areas from January 2023 to November 2025, following a four-year hiatus from 2019 to 2022.

“Indigenous presence in institutional spaces has advanced as a direct result of our struggle,” the groups point out, citing the presence of historic leaders of the movement at the helm of bodies responsible for managing public policies and the growing number of representatives from the community in Congress, state assemblies, and municipal councils.

New Policy

In a statement to Agência Brasil, the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples emphasized that the creation of the ministry in 2023 led to indigenous people assuming strategic and decision-making roles, as the indigenous movement itself has acknowledged.

“The creation of the ministry marked a break from the paternalistic approach that had guided indigenous policy for decades,” the statement says.

Decisions regarding the rights and needs of Brazil’s more than 391 indigenous peoples are now made by individuals who are familiar with and understand their demands and challenges, the ministry states.

Among the key initiatives undertaken over the past four years to guarantee the rights and safety of indigenous people is the official recognition of 20 indigenous territories, equivalent to some 2.5 million hectares of protected land across 11 states, the ministry reports.

Thousands of indigenous protesters from across Brazil are marching this Tuesday (Apr. 7) down Brasília’s Esplanade of Ministries, where a number of government buildings are located, including the National Congress. The demonstration is part of the 22nd edition of the Free Land Camp, an event that began on Sunday (5) and is considered the movement’s largest and most significant mobilization in the country.

Under the scorching sun, representatives from some of the 391 indigenous peoples camped out walked the six kilometers to the National Congress – the main focus of the movement’s criticism. The group accuses the majority of federal representatives and senators of proposing and passing laws that violate the constitutional rights of indigenous peoples, putting their territories and ways of life at risk.

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The demonstrators also accuse lawmakers as well as federal and state officials of yielding to pressure from agribusiness, mining, and large-scale development projects, thereby allowing non-indigenous people to exploit traditional territories for economic gain.

Painted and wearing the traditional attire of their ethnic groups, the protesters carried six large banners bearing the slogans “Congress enemy of the people,” “Our territory is not for sale,” “The future belongs to indigenous peoples,” “The Time Framework is a coup,” “Demarcation is the future,” and “Down with the Time Framework.”

To comply with an agreement with the Federal District’s security forces, the indigenous groups left their bows, arrows, clubs, spears, and blowguns at the camp and occupied three of the six lanes and part of the lawn of the Eixo Monumental, the avenue that cuts through central Brasília from east to west.

“Our march is peaceful, heading toward a Congress that is not peaceful. It is an enemy of indigenous peoples,” said one of the members of the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB), the entity organizing the demonstration.

The Time Framework

A recurring target of criticism from indigenous communities is the Time Framework – a legally established doctrine that holds that indigenous people are only entitled to the territories they occupied in October 1988, when the Brazilian Constitution was enacted.

In 2023, the Supreme Court ruled the Time Framework unconstitutional. Nevertheless, in 2025, the Senate approved a constitutional amendment that imposes the same time limit on indigenous claims for land demarcation.

Since the senators modified the text that the lower house had approved in 2023, the amendment was sent back to federal representatives for reassessment, which has not yet occurred.

Protesters are also demanding that the federal government recognize more indigenous territories.

According to movement leaders, after a four-year period (2019–2022) during which no new areas of traditional occupation were officially recognized, the federal government validated 20 new territories from January 2023 to November 2025.

Brazil’s national indigenous agency Funai reports that the new territories amount to approximately 2.5 million hectares of protected land across 11 states.

“But we continue this struggle, this fight for territorial guarantees,” APIB Executive Coordinator Dinamam Tuxá told Agência Brasil on Sunday (5).

“We have a really high backlog of demarcations and a situation of widespread violence and vulnerability on indigenous lands that no government has managed to overcome. This has been a motivating factor for indigenous people to come to Brasília to stand up for our concerns,” Tuxá said.

He also noted there are currently about 110 new areas under review that have been claimed as federal lands for indigenous use.

Indigenous people from across Brazil began arriving in Brasília this Sunday (Apr. 5) to participate in the 22nd edition of the Free Land Camp (ATL 2026).

Organized by the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB ), the event runs through Saturday (11) and is considered the country’s largest and most important mobilization of the indigenous movement. According to the organizers, between 7,000 and 8,000 people, both indigenous and non-indigenous, are expected to participate this year.

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The ATL typically brings together representatives of most of Brazil’s 391 Indigenous peoples, as well as delegates from other countries, to discuss the defense of territories and denounce violations of indigenous rights. In recent years, the agenda has expanded, and the event has also come to include discussions on indigenous political and electoral participation, the climate crisis, and the defense of democracy. However, the central focus of the discussions remains the need for the Brazilian state to recognize indigenous peoples’ right to land.

“As we do every year, we are waiting for the Brazilian government to announce the creation of new indigenous lands,” APIB  Executive Coordinator Dinamam Tuxá told Agência Brasil.

According to him, after a four-year period (2019–2022) during which no new indigenous lands were established, the Brazilian government approved 20 new territories between January 2023 and November 2025. According to the national indigenous authority Funai), this amounts to approximately 2.5 million hectares of protected land across 11 Brazilian states.

“But we continue this struggle, this fight for territorial guarantees,” Tuxá added, noting that about 110 claimed indigenous land areas are currently under review.

“We face a very large backlog of demarcations and a situation of widespread violence and vulnerability on indigenous lands that no government has been able to overcome. This has been a motivating factor for indigenous peoples to come to Brasília and present our demands,” emphasized the APIB  coordinator.

Mobilization

The ATL also marks the beginning of what is known as Indigenous April, a month of nationwide mobilization during which the movement seeks to draw attention to other issues, such as the need for greater investment in indigenous health and education. This year’s theme is “Our future is not for sale: we are the answer.”

“We are promoting a broad debate on various topics, such as education, health, and international relations with indigenous peoples from other countries - in short, a range of public policies,” Tuxá noted, confirming that the traditional marches along the Ministries Esplanade will take place.

The first march is scheduled for next Tuesday (7) in protest against proposed legislation that, according to APIB, runs counter to the interests of indigenous peoples, such as authorizing mining on indigenous lands or establishing the so-called “temporal framework” - a legal doctrine under which indigenous peoples are entitled only to the territories they occupied in October 1988, when the Federal Constitution was enacted.

Elections

The 2026 elections will also be a focus of some of the main debates at the Free Land Camp, including the one scheduled for Thursday (9), “Indigenous Campaign: We Are the Answer to Transforming Politics” - the title of the manifesto that APIB published last year, reaffirming its commitment to continuing the initiative to strengthen indigenous political participation, launched a few years ago.

“We will launch the Indigenous Campaign, an initiative aimed at guiding the candidacies put forward by a coalition of parties allied with the indigenous movement. We will advise interested indigenous people to join these parties that have defended our rights. And, throughout the year, we will promote actions to strengthen these indigenous candidacies in order to ensure greater [indigenous] representation in Congress,” Tuxá said.