The federal government announced the revocation of Decree 12.600, which planned studies for the concession of waterways on the Tapajós, Madeira, and Tocantins rivers, following over a month of indigenous protests. The decision was communicated by Guilherme Boulos and Sônia Guajajara in a meeting at the Palácio do Planalto, meeting the main demand of communities in the Baixo Tapajós, Pará. The protests included occupations of Cargill facilities in Santarém and camps in Brasília.
The announcement took place on February 23, 2026, during a meeting in Brasília with representatives from the Baixo Tapajós indigenous groups, near Santarém in western Pará. Decree 12.600, issued in 2025 by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, included the rivers for private concession under the National Privatization Program. Indigenous people from about 14 ethnic groups, totaling around 7,000 in the region according to the Conselho Indígena Tapajós Arapiuns (CITA), protested against potential impacts such as lack of prior consultation, risks to fishing, riverbank erosion, and harm to traditional territories, as per UN Convention 169.
The protests began on January 22, with the occupation of Cargill's terminal in Santarém, reaching 1,200 participants. There were demonstrations in São Paulo on February 20 and a 33-day camp in Brasília with women and children in precarious conditions. On the previous Saturday, February 21, protesters entered Cargill's headquarters for the first time in response to a court order for evacuation. The company described the actions as 'violent' and involving vandalism.
Guilherme Boulos, Minister of the Secretariat-General of the Presidency, coordinated the revocation directly with Lula, who was traveling in Asia, and announced: 'This government has the capacity to listen to the people, including to review decisions when necessary.' Sônia Guajajara, Minister of Indigenous Peoples, emphasized the commitment to free and informed consultation, calling the decision 'very important' and considering humanitarian aspects. Cacique Gilson Tupinambá celebrated: 'We fought against the giant Cargill, but we are the giants. This land is sacred.'
The revocation follows the suspension on February 6 of a R$ 61.8 million dredging tender for the Tapajós without an environmental license, which could alter water quality, affect Amazon turtle reproduction, and community transport routes. In November 2025, Munduruku protests at COP30 in Belém led to a promise of prior consultation. The Coordenação das Organizações Indígenas da Amazônia Brasileira (COIAB) is monitoring the announcement, awaiting publication in the Official Gazette.
The decision drew complaints from ministries including the Casa Civil, AGU, Ports and Airports, and Agriculture, but the risk of breaking with social bases in an election year prevailed. The waterways are seen as a logistics corridor for Mato Grosso agribusiness but face resistance due to environmental and social impacts.
