Brazil Supreme Court weighs landmark indigenous land rights case

Defeat in court for the indigenous people could set a precedent for the rollback of native rights by President Bolsonaro.

Brazil’s Supreme Court has heard arguments for and against a cut-off date for land claims that indigenous people say are vital for their survival, while the government advocated for legal certainty for farmers in the agricultural powerhouse. The top court weighed on Wednesday whether a state government applied an overly narrow interpretation of indigenous rights by only recognising tribal lands occupied by native communities at the time Brazil’s constitution was ratified in 1988. The case is expected to drag out for days and set a precedent that would affect hundreds of native land claims.