PALMAS, Brazil – A noisy demonstration has broken out during the World Indigenous Games as native Brazilians angry over a land demarcation proposal streamed into the sporting arena.
Several hundred indigenous protesters filled the arena during Wednesday's 100-meter dash competition, forcing the suspension of the day's sporting activities.
The demonstrators are angry about a proposed constitutional amendment that would put the demarcation of indigenous lands into the hands of Brazil's Congress, which is largely dominated by the big agriculture lobby.
A commission in the Chamber of Deputies approved the proposal late Tuesday. It must make its way through the Senate and be signed by President Dilma Rousseff to become law.