Land conflict between indigenous groups and illegal miners turns deadly

The indigenous lands of Brazil’s Amazon have long been coveted by predatory interests, from loggers and cattle ranchers to wildcat miners. President Jair Bolsonaro never tires of stressing that, beyond the abundance of flora and fauna, these reservations are also home to some of the world’s most valuable minerals, buried not so deep underground. The 1988 Constitution guarantees the safety and preservation of these territories, and the traditional communities rely on the protection of federal agencies to ward off trespassers and avoid land conflicts.

However, this changed when Mr. Bolsonaro took office in 2019.

A long-time supporter of mining activities on indigenous reservations and opponent of land demarcations, the president has overseen the progressive loosening of environmental oversight and the ratification of legislation in favor of landgrabbers and loggers.

With Brazil’s indigenous communities largely left to their own devices, conflict is rife in...