A group of UN Special Rapporteurs has already warned of the grave threats posed by the bill to human, including Indigenous Peoples’, rights. Overall, it represents a major setback to Brazil’s international human rights and environmental commitments. Brazil faces significant human rights challenges, including persistent police violence predominantly affecting Black youth, increasing gender-based violence, and ongoing threats to land and environmental defenders, especially those from Indigenous Peoples and Quilombola communities. Despite some progress, systemic issues like overcrowded prisons, limited social policy investment, and insufficient transitional justice measures for dictatorship-era abuses remain critical concerns.
The surge in deforestation and recurring wildfires, coupled with lax environmental enforcement, intensifies climate risks and undermines Indigenous rights to land and livelihood. The approval of regressive legislation such as the “PL da Devastação” deepens these threats by weakening environmental protections and facilitating exploitation. Brazil must uphold its commitments to human rights, environmental protection, and climate agreements. Not to do so will risk undermining Brazil’s global leadership role in this crucial year for climate action. Effective responses depend on strengthening democratic oversight, ensuring justice for marginalized groups, and restoring robust environmental governance.
