Wed Apr 02 06:36:03 UTC 2025: ## Indigenous Leader Raoni Metuktire to Press Lula on Amazon Protection Amidst Ongoing Threats

**Peixoto de Azevedo, Brazil** – Chief Raoni Metuktire, the renowned Kayapo leader and global environmental activist, will meet with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Friday at his home territory in Mato Grosso state. The meeting comes amidst ongoing threats to the Amazon rainforest and the Chief’s own ancestral lands.

For fifty years, Chief Raoni has spearheaded a campaign against illegal mining and logging in the Amazon. His Capoto/Jarina territory, accessible primarily by boat, has seen remarkable success in protecting its rainforest, with only 0.15% of its vast area affected by deforestation, a stark contrast to the surrounding areas. This success is largely attributed to the designation of the land as Indigenous territory, making deforestation a crime.

However, the fight continues. Chief Raoni plans to urge President Lula to halt an oil mega-project at the Amazon’s mouth and grant his community custodianship over a larger portion of the forest. He will also highlight the persistent threats of illegal gold mining, fueled by organized crime, in neighboring Kayapo territories. Greenpeace reports that this illegal mining has destroyed an area equivalent to 22,000 football fields. Furthermore, the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires, exacerbated by climate change, pose a significant threat to the community’s crops and medicinal plants.

The Kayapo people employ a two-pronged approach to defending their lands: active patrols against intruders and education to deter young people from participating in environmentally destructive activities. In the past, Chief Raoni has even resorted to dramatic measures, including a hostage situation in 1984, to secure the recognition of his community’s land rights.

Despite these efforts, the Chief and his community are acutely aware of the looming dangers and the importance of global action. They are hopeful that the upcoming UN climate change conference, to be hosted by President Lula in Belém in November, will bring about significant changes to protect the Amazon and secure the future for generations to come.

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