ONE of the Amazon rainforest’s most important indigenous leaders has called on Brazil’s president to do more to defend the rights of indigenous people.

Chief Raoni Metuktire demanded that the “invaders” of indigenous territories must be removed and that the government halt negotiations on carbon credits that had excluded Indigenous people from the discussions.

In a letter to President Luiz Inacio “Lula” da Silva, Chief Raoni has called for the government to respond to 11 specific requests by August 9, the second and final day of the Amazon summit in Belem that Lula and other South American heads of state will attend.

In May, Lula signed off a new law that paved the way for a market to trade carbon credits — certifications representing climate-threatening emission reduction that can then be bought or sold to compensate for emissions made elsewhere.

But Chief Raoni said that indigenous people have so far not been included in the process and that their participation is vital in the drafting of any future legislation to make sure their rights are properly taken into account. 

His letter also demanded a halt to damaging mining activities that sparked a major health crisis among the Yanomami people as illegal gold miners swarmed into their territory under the previous government of far-right president Jair Bolsonaro.

Lula’s government has worked to expel most of the miners from Yanomami lands, but many have avoided the authorities.  

Chief Raoni also demanded mass testing for exposure to mercury, widely used in mining gold, and medical treatment for those affected.

Brazil has so far established 732 indigenous territories, occupying more than 453,000 square miles, some 14 per cent of the country. Six new territories have been created since Lula started his latest term in office in January.