The Secretary of Land Affairs says that indigenous people were not the first inhabitants of Brazil.

247 - The new Deputy Secretary for Land Affairs at the Ministry of Agriculture, lawyer Luana Figueiredo, defends the thesis that indigenous people were not the first inhabitants of Brazil.

According to the journalist's column Laura Jardim In an interview with O Globo, Luana presents herself as a "friend" of the Minister of Agriculture, Tereza Cristina, and does not hold back in her criticism of land demarcation policies.

"In articles published in recent years, Luana argues that indigenous people were not the first inhabitants of Brazil, harshly criticizes land demarcation policies, and claims that indigenous people in Mato Grosso do Sul are obese, have high blood pressure, and diabetes—diseases considered foreign to indigenous people," states Lauro Jardim.

On social media, the thesis was the target of much criticism and also jokes. "Yes. The first ones were the dinosaurs, who returned and today occupy the Planalto Palace," one internet user quipped.

Luana is known for her work defending landowners involved in land disputes. Her argument is that areas "for decades" in private possession "cannot be dismantled by a romantic notion that there is a traditional connection between that group and the area."

"Tradition is lost the moment decades pass without any demands being made," he says.