Brazil: Deputies approve project that dilutes ministries of Environment and Indigenous Peoples

The Chamber of Deputies of Brazil approved this Wednesday modifications to the government of Lula da Silva that dilute the power of the Environment and Indigenous Peoples portfolios, and weaken the climate promises of the ruling party.

The text, approved by 337 votes in favor and 125 against and which will be voted on Thursday in the Senatealters the powers of various ministries and represents a new defeat for the government in the Congresswith a conservative majority.

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With the changes approved, the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples will lose one of its main attributions: the responsibility for the demarcation of new indigenous lands, which will pass to Ministry of Justice.

and the portfolio of Environment it will lose its powers over the registration of rural lands -key in monitoring and combating illegal deforestation- and over the management of water resources.

It was an agonizing day for the ruling party, which despite having suffered the second legislative setback in 24 hours on environmental matters, avoided an even greater defeat.

The government tried since morning to avoid a complete rejection of the norm that validates the composition of the 37 ministries determined by Lula in January, and expires on June 1.

The non-vote of the norm or its rejection would have automatically meant a drastic shrinking of the government in 14 portfolios to 23, with the complete disappearance of ministries such as that of Original townsreturning to the conformation that he inherited from former President Jair Bolsonaro (2018-2022).

Lula spoke by telephone with the president of Deputies, Arthur Lirato try that the project, key for the composition of the government, was dealt with on Wednesday.

Lira told the press that it exists “a problem in the government”, which explains the recent defeats in the legislature due to a “lack or absence of political articulation”.

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He assured that he transmitted to Lula the discomfort of the parliamentarians with the government.

“There is a generalized dissatisfaction of the deputies and senators”, he stated.

Wednesday’s vote marked the second legislative defeat for the government’s environmental agenda, after deputies on Tuesday approved a bill limiting the demarcation of indigenous lands, relaunched by Lula after several years of paralysis.

The initiative, which must obtain the approval of the Senate, establishes that the lands reserved for native communities must be restricted to those occupied by indigenous people at the time of the promulgation of the current Constitution, in 1988.

This “time frame”compromises the rights of native peoples, whose territories act as barriers against deforestation, according to environmentalists.

lack of governance

When he came to power in January, Lula appointed as head of the Environment Marina Silvaan emblematic figure in the fight against climate change in Braziland gave the indigenous leader Sonia Guajajara the reins of the new Ministry of Indigenous Peoples.

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But the international optimism generated by these appointments collided with the political reality of Lula, who despite ceding some ministries and senior positions to center-right parties, was unable to guarantee a legislative majority on several issues.

“It is not that his support base is disjointed, it is that Lula has no base at all in Congress.“beyond the left and center-left parties that supported his candidacy, said the political analyst Leandro Gabiatidirector of the consulting firm Dominium.

Source: Elcomercio

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I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.