This displacement, ordered by the country’s supreme court and other judges, is affecting both the indigenous and nonindigenous communities living in the areas.
Indigenous groups report that more than 10 thousand nonindigenous people inhabit these territories, alongside approximately 2 thousand five hundred indigenous individuals in 51 villages. The goal of the relocation is to return the lands to the indigenous people and combat illegal activities such as unauthorized cattle raising and gold mining, which have led to significant deforestation and destruction of native vegetation.
The recent supreme court ruling, which denied a lawsuit seeking to limit the territorial claims of indigenous people, has further fortified indigenous land rights. This ruling argues that there should be no cut off date for indigenous peoples to reclaim their territories. Many in the indigenous community celebrated this ruling, which marks a significant milestone in the protection of their land rights.
