Brazilian Court Orders Transport for Indigenous Presidential Voters

A federal court in Para state ordered the Federal government of Brazil to ensure Indigenous citizens nationwide can vote in the upcoming presidential runoff. The ruling requires the state to provide free transportation by land, air, or river, as well as funding for food, interpreters, and signage in Indigenous languages.

The order follows a request by federal prosecutors and advocacy from the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil, which identified 43 remote communities in northern Brazil where voters live up to 895 kilometers from polling stations. The lawsuit alleged that municipal governments denied transport for political reasons and that ranchers blocked Indigenous workers from leaving farms to vote.

The runoff features a tight race between President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, who hold opposing views on Amazon protection. In Roraima, supporters of Bolsonaro hope a victory will restore mining activities, recalling the administration of Jair Bolsonaro, which oversaw the felling of 11 million acres of rainforest.

While the National Foundation for Indigenous Peoples stated it consulted communities on their needs, the agency maintained that state electoral authorities are responsible for the final arrangements. Previously, the Amazonas state electoral court had rejected a similar transportation petition from the association Univaja.