The large protest by indigenous communities that threw the COP30 in Belèm into turmoil last Friday, blocking entry to the conference for an hour, did not go unnoticed. After the mobilization (the images of which went around the world), which saw the Munduruku ethnic group as protagonists, the Brazilian government announced that it will proceed with the demarcation of their ancestral lands in Pará, and that it will review the impact of the mega projects in the Tapajós basin, one of the most disputed areas of the Amazon. This time the pressure really worked.
The protesters, who are calling for a stop to the exploitation of rivers in the name of exports and an end to extractive activities that threaten indigenous territories, were invited to meet the Minister for Indigenous Peoples, Sônia Guajajara, and the Minister for the Environment and Climate Change, Marina Silva.
“What is at stake is the privatization of our rivers – declared Gilson Tupinambá, coordinator of the Tupinambá Indigenous Council (CITUPI) – The Tapajós, Tocantins and Madeira rivers are turning into corridors for the export of soybeans and mining activities, while our villages suffer from contaminated water, the decline in fish and the increase in violence”.
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The demands of the Munduruku community
“Our main concern is represented by the decree and the Ferrogrão railway; this will damage us considerably. Being here with Sonia, with the Navy Minister and with the president of the COP is already progress. But we need to be listened to more, to be consulted – declared the leader Alessandra Korap, leader of the Brazilian ethnic group Munduruku – We want an answer from Lula”.
In short, this opening is a first step but the Brazilian people need concrete gestures. Decree no. 12.600/2025 includes the Tapajós, Madeira and Tocantins rivers among the priority routes for freight transport. The Ferrogrão railway would cross six indigenous territories inhabited by more than 2,600 people, including isolated groups.
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For the Munduruku it would mean dredging and destruction of sacred rapids: a real threat to their existence.
It is a contradiction that the government talks about climate commitments in Belém while accelerating the construction of a railway designed to make soybean exports cheaper, expand ports on the Tapajós and put further pressure on our lands – underlined Alessandra Korap – If they want to talk about climate, they must first listen to the people who live where these trains and these waterways will pass.
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Minister Sonia Guajajara openly recognized the legitimacy of the protest, announcing that the land demarcation process is at an advanced stage and that there can be no solution to climate change that does not include the participation of indigenous peoples; while Marina Silva recalled that the Ferrogrão railway project is still stalled, given that the previous evaluation was rejected by IBAMA (Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources).
But why is demarcation such an important step? This is a fundamental right claimed by many indigenous peoples around the world, but often ignored by governments. It means officially recognizing that those territories belong to native communities, guaranteeing them stronger legal protection and protection.
The controversial issue of carbon credits
Furthermore, as raised by Alessandra Korap Munduruku, companies and the government of Pará are implementing carbon credit projects in indigenous territories without first consulting the communities directly affected.
“Many companies are doing it, and now the state government itself is also doing it. I believe that an agreement with the state government of Pará, jurisdictional, could arrive at any moment, but this worries us” declared the activist.
When an area is placed under a carbon credit project, a network of companies, NGOs, consultants and intermediaries arrives to impose rules on how the forest should be managed. In practice, those who have lived there for centuries end up having less decision-making power than external investors, to whom the forest is “sold off”.
Sources: COP30/Maparajuba/alessandra_korap
