The government revoked Resolution 0961, which restricted new extraction across 48 million hectares. Fabio Arjona cites consultation defects and existing protections; experts warn the signal weakens a region already covered by 14 million hectares of hydrocarbon blocks.
A judge ordered protection of Parakanã land after audio messages announced a return by hundreds of former occupants during the election. No entry followed deployment, but threats and historical damage remain.
Brazil has accumulated 2,727 rare-earth exploration applications, 42% involving foreign capital. At least a quarter overlap or lie near 283 protected areas and Indigenous territories as the country debates licensing, domestic processing and mineral sovereignty.