500 years defending the land and freedom

BarcelonaAlmost five centuries after the arrival of the first European conquerors in the Amazon, the indigenous peoples of Brazil continue to defend the same thing: land and freedom. Since 1542, when the expedition led by Francisco de Orellana reached the great river, nearly 484 years of sustained resistance have passed. Now, this struggle is moving to Brasília. Hundreds of indigenous representatives are settling in the country's political center in a protest camp to halt legislative changes that could allow extractive activities and energy projects within protected territories. The mobilization combines political pressure with cultural expression, turning the institutional space into a stage for collective demand. Despite some recent advances in territorial recognition and environmental protection under the government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, hundreds of communities are still awaiting legal guarantees for their lands. In parallel, the pressure from illegal mining and logging in indigenous territories is growing. The Free Land Camp in the Brazilian capital is not an isolated episode, but the continuation of a nearly 500-year history of persistent defense of their ancestral rights and their way of life.