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CAFOD
Latin America - Brazil - illegal invasion of indigenous land

Communities from the Ajarani region of the Amazon campaign against the illegal invasion of indigenous lands by large scale farmers.

CAFOD is working with indigenous people in Brazil to protect their rainforest home, supporting homeless families in their struggle to find housing, and helping young people find opportunities for a better life.

Why CAFOD works in Brazil

Brazil is the largest country in Latin America, rich in diversity and natural resources. However, it is also one of the most unequal nations in the world and 50 million Brazilians live in poverty.

The government has made cuts to health, education and housing that are affecting the poorest most of all. Legal protection of human rights and the environment has also been undone. 

The homes of rural and indigenous communities are vulnerable to the expansion of large-scale farming, mining and timber projects, and this has led to violence against communities who defend their rights. Indigenous people have been murdered, criminalised, threatened and evicted from their land.

Our work in Brazil

CAFOD has been working with local experts in Brazil for over 50 years.

With your support, together we are:

  • Helping homeless families in São Paulo living in overcrowded shanty towns with poor sanitation, who will find it nearly impossible to follow coronavirus prevention measures, and are very vulnerable to the disease.

  • Lobbying the government to provide basic welfare for the poorest, who will be affected most by the virus.

  • Supporting indigenous people to improve their living conditions, and to access health and education during the coronavirus crisis.

News about our work in Brazil

Flooding in Brazil: Hope amid a catastrophe
01
Sep
2024

Flooding in Brazil: Hope amid a catastrophe

Unprecedented rainfall left homes and infrastructure wrecked in Brazil, but there is hope amid the destruction, as the most affected families start to rebuild their lives.

Defending housing rights in São Paulo
31
Oct
2023

Defending housing rights in São Paulo

As we celebrate World Cities Day, find out how CAFOD's partner Semeando is helping some of the poorest families to access safe and affordable housing in São Paulo, Brazil.

Meet the climate babies 12 years on
28
Dec
2021

Meet the climate babies 12 years on

Twelve years since our first meeting, three children from Brazil, Kenya and Bangladesh and their families tell us how the climate crisis is affecting them.