Pykany, Brazil – Indigenous chief Bepdjo Mekragnotire is once again preparing to lead a group of warriors. They are supposed to drive illegal gold miners out of his people’s territory in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest.
Bepdjo wore a headdress made of red feathers. He told Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency that tensions have escalated with invaders in the indigenous “construction” territory in the northern state of Pará. This comes four years after his people, the Kayapó, displaced nearly 200 gold miners.
“The gold miners are stubborn. They invade in every possible way because the price of gold is very high today,” 45-year-old Bepdjo told AFP in Pykany, a village in a neighboring area of Bau. “We have to drive them away, otherwise they will continue to advance.”
Gold is considered a safe haven in turbulent times. It is experiencing a new era with historically high values amid global instability. This gold rush drives the illegal ‘garimpeiros’ (gold diggers) into previously relatively well-preserved natural areas such as Bau. In February, weapons were briefly drawn when Bepdjo and several Kayapó warriors encountered gold diggers in a canoe. According to the chief, they displaced 24 people.
Subsequently, a coalition of indigenous organizations warned the authorities in a letter, pointing out the “imminent threat of a major armed conflict” and asking for help.
Bepdjo is tired of waiting. “We don’t know how many gold miners are there, we just arrive and check,” he said as he plans the new mission. Jair Schmitt is the interim director of the Brazilian environmental agency Ibama. He told AFP that the agency is focusing on areas “that are in particularly critical situations. Ibama cannot have a physical presence in all areas.”
Deep in the jungle
Experts view protected indigenous lands as one of the best defenses against deforestation and climate change. During a flight with the environmental organization Greenpeace, AFP was able to observe the pressure of mining on the protected areas from the air. Vast landscapes with felled trees, dug pits and canals for mining end abruptly at an invisible border. Behind them lie the indigenous areas, where the green jungle stretches to the horizon.
According to the non-governmental organization (NGO) Amazon Mining Watch, 223,000 hectares were affected by mining in Brazil between 2018 and 2025. Of these, almost 80 percent were illegal. Since left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva came back to power in 2023, the government has cracked down on illegal mining. His far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro was accused of fostering a climate of impunity in the Amazon.
But mining bosses quickly adapted. Their operations have evolved from artisanal ventures to multibillion-dollar projects involving heavy machinery and fleets of small aircraft.
Nilton Tubino is Lula’s government-appointed protection coordinator in indigenous areas. He told AFP that a “new gold rush” is fueling illegal mining in the Amazon. “The gold diggers are penetrating deeper and deeper into the jungle,” he explained.
Ibama’s Schmitt said the biggest challenge was “confronting organized crime.” He was referring to the Primeiro Comando da Capital and Comando Vermelho groups. These were declared terrorist organizations by the USA on Thursday and are increasingly involved in these activities.
Ghost mines
The Escolhas Institute, which analyzes the gold supply chain, pointed out that Brazil produced 71 tons of gold in 2025. This was mainly exported to Canada, Switzerland and Great Britain. Brazil is working on new legislation to ensure gold traceability.
Larissa Rodrigues of Escolhas said that due to government measures, the gold that used to “leave Brazil through the front door” is now being smuggled through neighboring countries such as Guyana or Venezuela. There are other legal loopholes for laundering gold, such as ‘ghost mining’. This is described in a study by Greenpeace published on Friday. These sites have artisanal mining permits and report sales. However, there are no signs of activity when flying over the area. Danicley de Aguiar, indigenous peoples coordinator at Greenpeace Brazil, said gold from protected areas is likely being laundered through these schemes.
Fernando Lucas, president of the Federation of Gold Miners’ Cooperatives in Pará, said he was tired of gold miners being “labeled as criminals.” He assured AFP that many want to work legally but are trapped in bureaucracy. He called for a “more organized and sustainable” model.
temptation
Chief Bepdjo also struggles with division among his own people. Some support illegal mining, including its predecessor.
The disagreement led some villagers to move to the other side of the river. “Often the gold diggers come to talk to us. They offer money and say, ‘You get a car, you get women’, it’s a temptation. A young man who doesn’t think will want such things,” said 25-year-old Takagmoro Kaiapo, the son of the former chief.
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