From the earliest days of his third term, Lula launched a series of bold and symbolic actions: a resumption of territorial demarcations, the unprecedented appointment of an Indigenous woman to lead FUNAI, and the creation of a Ministry of Indigenous Peoples. These three decisions responded point by point to the requests of Chief Raoni Metuktire, formulated in a letter written in his village of Metuktire, following his interview for the film Amazonia, the Heart of Mother Earth. In the film, he explains the context: his hopes for the future, but also the wounds of the past — especially the Belo Monte dam, a symbol of betrayal. This letter, hand-delivered to Lula by the filmmakers during a filmed meeting in Brasília in May 2022, unexpectedly became a lever for dialogue. Whether it confirmed an existing political orientation or rekindled a strained connection, the fact remains: the measures soon followed.

This rapprochement took on a public dimension on January 1, 2023, during the presidential inauguration. On the ramp of the Palácio do Planalto, Lula was accompanied by a small group of symbolic representatives — among them, Chief Raoni Metuktire, the sole Indigenous representative. Together, they climbed the steps to the top, where the presidential sash was handed to Lula. A powerful image, broadcast around the world, sealing a long-awaited reconciliation — without erasing the scars of the past.

But this reconciliation, however powerful, does not erase the past or the demands of the present. In April 2025, when President Lula visited the village of Piaraçu to award Chief Raoni the National Order of Merit, the latter clearly expressed his opposition to the oil exploration project in the Amazon delta. A firm stance, reminding all that this renewed trust is built not on forgetting the past, but on constant vigilance.

In Amazonia, the Heart of Mother Earth, the dialogue and encounter between these two historic figures — one a head of state, the other a guardian of the forest — leads to a respectful confrontation, rich in memory and expectation. Lula’s exclusive interview, woven throughout the film, reveals a man aware of the limits of political action, but also of the role he can — and must — play in recognizing the rights of Indigenous Peoples and preserving the Amazon. A moment of truth at the crossroads of reparation, responsibility, and hope.