Brazil's Lula recognizes two more Indigenous lands, but postpones four others

BRASILIA - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva officially recognized two more Indigenous territories on Thursday, but said he decided not to sign off on four others because they still need to be cleared by people currently occupying them.

The recognition grants the territories legal protection as reservations to be defended against invasions by illegal loggers, gold miners and cattle ranchers.

Lula, who pledged to legalize as many reservations as possible, signed in Brasilia the recognition of the Aldeia Velha and Cacique Fontoura lands, which are located in the states of Bahia and Mato Grosso, respectively.

The leftist leader has so far recognized 10 Indigenous territories since he took office in January 2023 for his third non-consecutive term.

Lula said at an event that he had received from his Justice Minister last week a list of six Indigenous territories ready to be recognized, but opted to postpone the legalization of the other four.

"We decided to sign off on only two," Lula said, adding that the other four other territories are currently occupied by farmers or socially vulnerable people, and the government wants them to leave peacefully.

He said some state governors had asked him for more time to resolve the issue, and acknowledged his decision might have frustrated some Indigenous people.

"But I need to be careful, and offer those people other alternatives," he said.

(Reporting by Maria Carolina Marcello; writing by Andre Romani; editing by Gabriel Araujo and Leslie Adler)