‘This is a lethal threat’: Indigenous groups fear Bolsonaro’s hold on voters in Brazil’s Amazon towns

Indigenous leaders see Bolsonaro’s popularity as a direct threat because his supporters want to reverse Lula’s crackdown on illegal mining. That crackdown removed miners from Yanomami territory and protected the forest. A Bolsonaro victory could weaken enforcement and reopen access to gold and tin deposits.

Mucajaí became a centre of the illegal gold rush. Miners used the Mucajaí River, hidden airstrips and aircraft to enter Yanomami lands. During Jair Bolsonaro’s presidency, the invasion brought malaria, mercury poisoning, hunger and destruction to about 32,000 Indigenous people. Júnior Hekurari says voting 22 risks signing a “death certificate” for Indigenous people.

The danger appeared immediate. After the first round, Yanomami villagers reported calls from miners ordering them to clear runways. Nilton Tubino also reported strange movements near the territory. If Bolsonaro wins, Lula’s anti-mining unit will close, while Indigenous and environmental officials may lose protection.

Bolsonaro’s support was exceptionally strong in Mucajaí and across Roraima. Nearly four in five voters in Mucajaí chose him in the first round. The town gave him his biggest proportional victory in the state, which also produced his best nationwide result. The figures show a powerful regional preference.

Mucajaí recorded 11,734 votes, and nearly 79% went to Bolsonaro. Rosimari Monteiro was among his supporters. She voted early and chose ballot number 22, the electronic voting number used to identify him. Her reasons included promises to fight crime and create jobs.

The pattern extended beyond one town. Bolsonaro won 14 of Roraima’s 15 municipalities. He also finished ahead of Lula nationally in the first round, taking 47% against Lula’s 45.1%. The second-round result mattered because it could decide whether mining restrictions continued or were reversed.

Many voters connect Bolsonaro with jobs because illegal gold mining had become part of the local economy. When Lula’s government evicted miners, people who depended directly or indirectly on the trade lost income. Supporters therefore treat mining access as a route back to work, even though the activity damaged Indigenous communities and forests.

Rosimari Monteiro said the closure of the mines brought “complete penury” and made jobs hard to find. Her brother-in-law worked in the mines. She believes Bolsonaro would legalise mining on Indigenous lands so people could return to work. Bolsonaro reinforced that message by promising to turn the Amazon’s riches into wealth for local people.

This creates a sharp conflict. The same gold rush that offered income also brought malaria, mercury poisoning, hunger and destruction to the Yanomami. Bolsonaro’s supporters want the crackdown ended, while Indigenous leaders fear miners are preparing to return. A new presidency could therefore reshape both local employment and territorial protection.

The Yanomami Indigenous territory is a protected area in the Amazon, near Brazil’s border with Venezuela. About 32,000 Yanomami people live there. The article says their ancestors are thought to have occupied the jungles for at least 1,000 years. Its protected status is central to the conflict over mining and government authority.

Mining is restricted because the territory is Indigenous land, not an open resource zone. The article describes miners invading protected lands and calls their operations illegal. Prospectors entered through the Mucajaí River, while hidden airstrips moved supplies, workers and sex workers into the forest. Their activity threatened Yanomami health, food security and environment.

The dispute is also about enforcement. Lula’s government launched a crackdown to remove miners and protect the territory. Bolsonaro supporters want mining legalised there, while Indigenous leaders fear renewed invasion. Thus, legal protection determines who may use the land, while government action determines whether that protection works in practice.

The miners’ entry caused a humanitarian and environmental crisis for Yanomami communities. Their operations did more than extract gold. They carried disease, polluted waterways, disrupted food supplies and damaged forests. The article links this crisis to the illegal gold rush during Jair Bolsonaro’s 2019–2022 presidency.

Tens of thousands of prospectors invaded the territory. They used the Mucajaí River to enter and relied on clandestine airstrips for helicopters and planes. These aircraft transported supplies, miners and sex workers into the jungle. The results included malaria, mercury poisoning, hunger and destruction among the Yanomami population, estimated in the article at 32,000 people.

The effects remain part of the political conflict. Lula described the damage as a “genocide” and began removing miners after winning the 2022 election. Indigenous leader Júnior Hekurari later warned that miners might return. Reports of calls ordering villagers to clear runways suggested renewed pressure on communities.

Lula’s response changed the Amazon in two opposing ways. It strengthened protection for Yanomami territory and attacked an illegal mining industry blamed for severe harm. But it also removed an important source of income for miners and local workers. The policy therefore produced environmental gains alongside serious economic resentment in mining communities.

After winning the 2022 election, Lula launched operations to evict miners and cripple the multibillion-dollar trade. A wider environmental campaign cut deforestation to its lowest level since the late 1980s. In Mucajaí, however, Rosimari Monteiro said mine closures brought “complete penury” and made jobs harder to find. Her brother-in-law had worked in the mines.

That tension shaped the election. Many voters wanted Bolsonaro to legalise mining and restore work. Conservationists and Indigenous leaders feared this would undo Lula’s gains. Nilton Tubino said his anti-mining unit would close under Bolsonaro, while miners appeared to be preparing to return.

Indigenous land rights establish that protected territories are not simply available for anyone to exploit. Government enforcement turns those rights into reality by removing illegal miners and defending boundaries. Political control matters because elected leaders can strengthen protection, tolerate invasions or seek to legalise mining. The Amazon’s gold and forests therefore become a question of law, power and survival.

In the article, miners entered Yanomami territory through the Mucajaí River and clandestine airstrips. Lula’s government used an anti-mining campaign to evict them and reduce environmental damage. Bolsonaro supporters, including many Mucajaí voters, want mining reopened to restore income. These competing choices determine who benefits from the territory’s resources.

The outcome remained uncertain after the first round. Bolsonaro led Lula nationally, and pro-Bolsonaro governors were expected in at least seven Amazon states. Congress also had a record number of rightwing politicians hostile to Indigenous and environmental issues. A Bolsonaro victory could weaken enforcement; a Lula victory could continue the crackdown.