A wave of indigenous women run for Brazil's Congress in Bolsonaro backlash

Indigenous Sonia Guajajara, head of the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB) organisation and candidate for federal deputy, takes part in an interview in Sao Paulo, Brazil, September 21, 2022. REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - A record number of indigenous leaders, most of them women, are running for federal office in Brazil's election next month, in a backlash against the policies of President Jair Bolsonaro.

As destruction of the Amazon rainforest, invasions of indigenous lands and violence against their peoples have surged under Bolsonaro, several of these candidates say they are joining the political fray with a sense of urgency.