Brazil's Funai criticized as illegal gold mining resurfaces in Raposa Serra do Sol

Indigenous residents of Uiramutã municipality discovered abandoned illegal gold‑mining sites in the Raposa Serra do Sol Indigenous Territory. Video evidence showed abandoned camps, degraded riverbanks and engines buried to evade inspection, with mining runoff muddying the Urucá, Urucazinho, Sete Quedas and Trovão waterfalls.

A separate audit by the Federal Court of Auditors (TCU) identified systemic failures at the Fundação Nacional dos Povos Indígenas (Funai). The audit found no clear methodology for identifying threats, fragmented data across land, environmental and territorial databases, and uneven distribution of staff and equipment, limiting Funai’s ability to prevent invasions and other illegal activities. The TCU recommended stronger planning, resource allocation and data integration to improve protection of indigenous lands.