Guardians of the Amazon: A Peaceful Indigenous Protest in the Heart of Brasília

In April 2022, as the sun dipped over Brasília’s sweeping avenues, I witnessed a protest that felt both timeless and urgent. Indigenous groups from across Brazil had gathered on the Esplanada, marching peacefully yet powerfully toward the National Congress. Their demands were clear: recognition of their ancestral lands, protection of the Amazon, and resistance against laws like the Marco Temporal, which threatened to erase their claims. Against the stark lines of Brasília’s modern architecture, their presence was striking—a reminder that the fight for the rainforest is also a fight for cultural survival, and ultimately, for the planet itself.