Guarani community in São Paulo nears final approval to expand ancestral territory

The short version

• The Guarani community in São Paulo is seeking official expansion of the Jaraguá territory from four acres to 1,315 acres of surrounding forest.
• Federal and state officials have resolved park boundaries, and the Indigenous affairs agency Funai is surveying non-Indigenous occupants for financial compensation.
• The final stage requires a presidential decree, which sources say President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will likely delay until after the upcoming October election due to political sensitivities.

Key facts

• The Jaraguá Indigenous Territory currently consists of four acres in São Paulo and is home to 543 Guarani people.[The Washington Post]
• Federal and state authorities resolved an overlap between the Indigenous territory and a state park last year, and Funai is surveying non-Indigenous occupants to allocate compensation funds.[The Washington Post]
• The territory was initially recognized in 2015 by the Justice Ministry, overturned in 2017 under President Michel Temer, and restarted under Lula's administration in 2024.[The Washington Post]
• The remaining formal requirement to establish the 1,315-acre boundary is a presidential decree signed by Lula.[The Washington Post]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.

• How a wondrous forest has survived in the heart of Latin America’s largest cityThe Washington Post - World metered