Brazil deploys National Force to Indigenous territory — Mongabay
Brazil has deployed the National Force for Public Security to the Ituna/Itatá Indigenous Territory in the state of Pará in the country’s north. For 180 days, the units will support Brazil’s Indigenous affairs agency Funai in protecting the territory, where the isolated Igarapé Ipixuna people live.
A representative of Brazil’s Ministry of Justice and Public Security told Mongabay that the deployment has already begun and that units are already in the region.
Invasion after the law was passed
About two months ago, more than 500 people invaded the Ituna/Itatá territory. In August, the authorities of Pará state passed a law creating the Bacajá conservation area, which allows private landowners to build housing and raise cattle in the area.
Brazil’s federal government considers the law invalid because the conservation area fully overlaps with federally protected Indigenous territory. After the law was passed, hundreds of people broke through security gates, tore down warning signs and set up camps inside the territory.
A Mongabay investigation published in October concluded that the fast-tracked passage of the law helped legitimize and encourage the invasion. The outlet also reported a coordinated social media campaign involving politicians and influential agribusiness figures.
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According to the investigation, the number of fire alerts in the Ituna/Itatá territory rose from zero in August to 23 as of October 13.
Delay in deployment
On August 26, a federal court ordered the authorities to send a security team within 48 hours in response to the invasion. However, the federal government signed the authorization only on October 29, and the document was published in Brazil’s official gazette on November 3.
The National Force had already operated in the territory, but the term of its authorization expired in July 2026 and was not extended. In court case materials, the government said it needed authorization from the Pará state authorities for a redeployment, but they did not cooperate.
Funai conducts ongoing monitoring and protective measures in the territory to counter invasions and illegal activities. The agency will provide logistics for the operation, while the National Force will provide security support for its work. Funai is not disclosing the deployment schedule or on-the-ground tactics for security reasons.
