Brazil to bolster security for Yanomami territory in Amazon rainforest

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks during a meeting with Brazilian ministers to debate of the Yanomami humanitarian crisis, at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil January 9, 2024. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazil will bolster security and aid efforts for the Yanomami territory, officials said on Tuesday, covering ancestral lands that for years have suffered a range of illegal activities largely fueled by wildcat gold mining.

The government will spend 1.2 billion reais ($245 million) this year in security and assistance efforts for the Yanomami territory, Brazil's largest Indigenous reservation, located along the border with Venezuela.