After 34 days of protests against a federal decree regarding Amazon waterways, Indigenous groups began vacating the Cargill port area in Santarém after the decree was revoked.
Indigenous groups in Santarém, Brazil, have begun to vacate the Cargill port area after 34 days of protests against Decree 12.600, which proposed studies for concessions of waterways in the Amazon region. The decision to withdraw came after the federal government published the revocation of the decree in the Official Gazette, marking a significant victory for the movement that represented 17 ethnic groups from Pará and Mato Grosso. The protesters requested a 48-hour period to carry out the vacating process.
During the long protest, Native activists set up camp at the port's access point, establishing tents, improvised kitchens, and barriers that restricted truck access and the regular operation of the port. Tensions peaked at various moments, including a significant event where one group occupied the administrative area of the Cargill port, highlighting the intensity of their discontent and the lengths to which they were willing to go in their fight against the decree.
As the dismantling of the camp began, the mood shifted from confrontation to celebration among the Indigenous protesters, who viewed the government's decision as a validation of their demands. This incident not only underscores the ongoing struggles faced by Indigenous communities in Brazil regarding land and resource rights but also reflects the broader fight against policies perceived to threaten the Amazon ecosystem and Indigenous ways of life.
