"Indigenous and environmental rights under attack in Brazil, UN and Inter-American experts warn", 8 June 2017

..."The rights of indigenous peoples and environmental rights are under attack in Brazil," said the UN Special Rapporteurs on the rights of indigenous peoples, Victoria Tauli Corpuz, on human rights defenders, Michel Forst, and on the environment, John Knox, and the IACHR Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Francisco José Eguiguren Praeli. Over the last 15 years, Brazil has seen the highest number of killings of environmental and land defenders of any country...up to an average of about one every week. Indigenous peoples are especially at risk..."It is highly troubling that instead, Brazil is considering weakening those protections."...[And]...highlighted proposed reforms to the National Indian Foundation (FUNAI)...A report recently adopted by the Congressional Investigative Commission calls for the body to be stripped of responsibility for the legal titling and demarcation of indigenous lands...[A]llegations of illegitimate criminalization of numerous anthropologists, indigenous leaders and human rights defenders linked to their work on indigenous issues...The Congressional Investigative Commission's report also questions the motives of the United Nations, accusing it of being a confederation of NGOs influencing Brazilian policy through its agencies...Corpuz expressed particular alarm at accusations that her 2016 visit to Brazil intentionally triggered an increase in the number of indigenous peoples reclaiming their lands, exposing them to further violence. She highlighted that some of these communities suffered attacks immediately following her mission...[D]raft laws establishing general environmental licensing that would weaken environmental protection were being circulated in Congress...[in]...June...[T]he report and the draft legislation had been submitted by members of the "ruralist" lobby group, a coalition representing farmers' and ranchers' associations...