This entire Indigenous territory didn’t get to vote in Brazil’s elections

The Tumucumaque Indigenous Park, located in northern Brazil, did not have the opportunity to participate in the country's October elections. A leader of the Tiriyó and Kaxuyana Indigenous peoples, Mitore Tiriyo Kaxuyana, spoke to Mongabay about the issue. Three days prior to the presidential runoff vote, a federal court mandated that Indigenous voters throughout Brazil should be provided with transportation and language interpreters to enable their voting rights.

However, the officials in Amapá state, where the park is situated, were unaware of the existence of the Tumucumaque Indigenous Park when they met with Kaxuyana on October 19. The leader expressed her sorrow, stating that her community faced difficulties in casting their votes. The only way to vote, without any polling stations in the territory, was by plane to Macapá, the state capital.

Kaxuyana highlighted that the majority of villagers usually do not vote. The 74 villages within the vast 3-million-hectare (7.6-million-acre) territory are inhabited by around 2,800 Brazilian citizens. The territory spans five municipalities across two states.