How Artist Support Helped Indigenous Activists Stop Brazil’s ‘Apocalypse Bill’

Indigenous Brazilian environmental activist Txai Suruí. | Credit: Ana Pessoa/Midia Ninja/CopCollab25

Update: On December 14, 2023, Brazil’s Congress voted to overturn President Lula’s veto and pass the Marco Temporal bill into law despite Brazil Federal Supreme Court’s previous 2023 ruling that the Marco Temporal is unconstitutional. Indigenous organizations have filed a new lawsuit in the Supreme Court.

The Situation

In the summer of 2023, Brazil’s lower chamber of the federal legislature passed a controversial piece of legislation known as the Marco Temporal Bill. This draconian law aimed to end Indigenous land rights in Brazil, paving the way for unprecedented deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest by the cattle industry. The bill’s potential to catalyze a cascade of global ecological collapse due to the Amazon’s direct influence on global climate patters led it to be called the “Apocalypse Bill” by climate activists. With the bill moving into the Senate, a critical intervention was necessary to safeguard both Indigenous rights and the health of the Amazon.

Our Approach

Confronted with high stakes and limited time, we collaborated closely with Indigenous partners in Brazil. Our strategy involved producing an explainer video with Earthrise Studios and Txai Suruí, a Brazilian Indigenous youth activist. The video was distributed on social media platforms tagging Brazil’s Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco. Major artists including Billie Eilish, Mark Ruffalo, Jaden Smith, Willow Smith and more shared the video, amplifying its reach. This international pressure gave local activists more leverage in direct conversations with Senator Pacheco, ultimately leading to a pivotal deferral of the vote.

Celebrity posts from Billie Eilish, Mark Ruffalo, Jada Pinkett Smith and others tagged Brazil’s Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco.

Results

Our concerted efforts led to significant outcomes. Despite facing intense political pressure from his party to rush a vote, Senate President Pacheco deferred the vote on the Marco Temporal Bill to committee. This crucial delay allowed the Supreme Court to hear arguments from Indigenous communities and declare the bill’s underlying legal doctrine unconstitutional. In an unprecedented and craven move under pressure from the cattle industry, the Brazilian Senate then passed the bill regardless. It was subsequently vetoed by President Lula da Silva, bolstered by the Supreme Court’s ruling.

What We Learned

This case study illustrates the effectiveness of targeted influencer strategies on key decision-makers in support of local frontline-led advocacy. Our approach demonstrated that international pressure from high-profile advocates, led by frontline voices, can counteract powerful political forces like the Brazilian cattle industry lobby. Although the industry’s influence is significant, this victory served as an early indicator that it is neither politically omnipotent or immune to global pressure. It opens a door to new ways of designing international campaigns to successfully protect and restore the Amazon.