A federal court in Brazil’s Para state has ordered the government to ensure Indigenous communities across the country can vote in Sunday’s presidential runoff. The ruling, issued Thursday, responds to a request by federal prosecutors who sought free transportation, food, interpreters, and other support for voters in remote areas. The court noted that geographic distance and lack of accessible transportation often make voting practically impossible for these communities.
The lawsuit highlighted accounts from Indigenous groups, including allegations that some municipal governments denied transportation for political reasons and ranchers prevented workers from leaving farms to vote. The Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (Apib) also filed an urgent request to ensure electoral officials assist voters in reaching polling centers, particularly in the Javari Valley, where some communities are 895 kilometers (556 miles) from their polling places.
The runoff election pits leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva against far-right Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, with both candidates offering starkly different approaches to protecting the Amazon. Researchers emphasize that safeguarding Indigenous territories is crucial for curbing deforestation in the world’s largest rainforest, which plays a key role in regulating global climate.
The Brazilian government’s Indigenous affairs agency, Funai, stated it has consulted communities about transportation needs but noted that state electoral authorities are responsible for arranging it. The issue gained attention after Bruno Pereira, an Indigenous expert who helped establish voting centers in the Javari Valley, was killed in 2022 alongside British journalist Dom Phillips.