Mass Atrocities and Indigenous Peoples: The Brazilian Amazon under the Bolsonaro Administration (2019-2022)

This thesis investigates and evidences the commission of mass atrocities against indigenous peoples in the Brazilian Amazon under the Bolsonaro Administration (2019-2022). The research conceptualises key terms such as mass atrocities and the Responsibility to Protect, providing a framework for understanding the systemic nature of these violations. It then positions these atrocious events within a historical context that spans from 1500 to 2018 and elucidates an entrenched anti-indigenous atrocity structure within Brazil. The thesis identifies specific factors that facilitated the escalation of atrocities during Jair Bolsonaro’s presidential tenure, including governmental policies that promoted deterritorialisation, deforestation, and systemic neglect of healthcare. Acts of violence associated with environmental degradation and health deprivation are thoroughly analysed, demonstrating how these actions amounted to mass atrocities against Amazonian indigenous peoples. Furthermore, the thesis explores the international community’s perception of the violence perpetrated against these communities, examining responses from various global actors, including representatives of states, international bodies, and civil society organisations. Despite considerable acknowledgment of the atrocities, the analysis reveals significant shortcomings in international intervention, driven by several potential reasons.