COVID-19 AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES: Aspects of social security

Abstract

The conditions of socioeconomic and biological vulnerability of indigenous peoples in the face of the coronavirus pandemic pose the question of what are the limitations of the protection promoted by social security policies. In order to answer this question, this research sought to conceptualize social rights in relation with indigenous cultural differentiation, as well as seeking to review the most recent trajectory of health, social assistance and social security policies for this public. To this end, a bibliographic and documentary review was carried out on the terms surrounding the objective. Thus, it was verified that, until then, only the health policy presents an alternative of institutionalized differentiation, while the policies of social assistance and social security, although they may have good coverage of the indigenous users in some aspects, are presented distant from the demands of these peoples. In view of this situation, in addition to the setbacks caused by the neoliberal advance on social policies as a whole, and with the specific attacks on indigenous rights, these peoples are in a situation of greater fragility, because, in addition to not enjoying culturally sensitive social policies, they experience a delay in the emergency response in the form of public policy against the impacts of covid-19, which can lead to a greater number of contaminations and deaths.