Indigenous groups gathering in Brazil’s capital to protest president’s land grant decisions

By FABIANO MAISONNAVE
Associated Press

BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Thousands of Indigenous people are gathering in Brazil’s capial for what is expected to become a protest against President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s unfulfilled promises to create reserves and expel illegal miners and land-grabbers from their territories. Holding Lula’s government to account appeared to be the focus of this year’s 20th Free Land Camp, an annual weeklong encampment of Indigenous people in Brasilia. Last week, Lula created two new reserves instead of the six his government had promised for this year. During the announcement, he acknowledged that “some of our friends” would be frustrated.