During an agenda at the UN Climate Conference (COP27) on Monday 14th, Federal Deputy elect-Sonia Guajajara (PSOL) declared that, so far, the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (Apib) has not been included in the discussions of the transition government of President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), especially about the construction of the new Ministry of Indigenous Peoples, which was confirmed through an executive order four days ago.

This is one of the issues mentioned in a letter with proposals and recommendations that Apib formulated and will deliver this week to Lula, during the COP 27, which is being held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, until Friday (18).

An important national figure in the struggle for indigenous peoples, Guajajara said that the idea of the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples has been echoed "every day in the media, but we (indigenous peoples), the most interested parties, have not yet been invited to be part of the transition team. The elected deputy also emphasized her expectation that, in the Lula government, conditions will be established for indigenous peoples to create their own consultation protocols and that these protocols can be respected. "It is very important that there be a consultation process, so we can build what this Ministry will actually be like," she concluded.

An ally of Lula during the presidential campaign, Sônia Guajajara is one of the biggest bets of civil society to head the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples.

Joenia Wapichana, the first indigenous woman elected as a federal representative in Brazil, also attended the program and reinforced her commitment to contribute to President Lula's mandate, even though she was not reelected, and agreed with Guajajara about the relevance of this political participation. "We do want to participate in this government, but with respect and dignity, speaking as equals," she said.