Minister of Justice claims that garimpeiros are leaving “in the thousands”; investigations target bosses and financiers
The Minister of Justice and Public Security, Flavio Dino (PSB-MA), said this Monday (6.Feb.2023) that the government expects the departure of 80% of people involved with illegal mining in the Yanomami Indigenous Land, in Roraima, by the end of this week.
Authorities estimate that around 15,000 people were in the territory illegally. Part of the contingent has already left the place.
The Yanomami indigenous people are going through a health crisis, with cases of severe malnutrition, malaria and other diseases. The presence of illegal mining is indicated as the main cause of the situation.
According to Dino, the outflow of miners “It’s occurring in the thousands.” The trend is for unemployment to intensify. Starting this week, the government will implement coercive police actions in the territory, to effect the removal of illegal miners.
Dino said it was a period of “transition” between humanitarian actions to help indigenous peoples and police operations.
The minister also stated that people who leave Yanomami land are being identified. “It is not a path of impunity”, declared. “Investigations are ongoing and will continue. It is a highly complex situation and planning is required. The use of force without planning could worsen the problem in Roraima and we do not want that”.
According to Dino, the priority focus of the investigations is to identify the financiers, owners of illegal mines and people who wash the mines, circumventing the irregular origin of the ores.
“The investigation surrounding the heads of these criminal organizations is evolving”, he declared. The inquiry also has other priority axes for investigation, such as the possible commission of the crime of genocide by authorities against indigenous people, the diversion of health money to the original populations in Roraima and environmental crimes.
Dino stated that there are no plans for the government to help people leave Yanomami territory.
Earlier on Monday (Feb 6), the Ministry of Justice responded to a request from Funai (National Foundation for Indigenous Peoples) and ordered the deployment of 100 police officers from the National Public Security Force to reinforce protection at the agency’s bases in Roraima.
“We will have PF action [Polícia Federal] with logistical support from the Armed Forces to carry out the removal. We are dealing with a contingent of more than 500 men employed in coercive actions”, said the minister.
EVACUATION
Videos shared on social media show miners leaving Yanomami lands in the state of Roraima. On Saturday (Feb 4), the Minister of Indigenous Peoples, Sonia Guajajarastated that, for her, leaving without the use of police force is “better for everyone”.
“We have this information since many garimpeiros are leaving, but it is good that they leave, so we even reduce the operation”, he said.
Watch the garimpeiros leave (2min27):
The government carries out operations in the region to increase inspection and combat illegal mining. On Wednesday (Feb 1st), the FAB (Brazilian Air Force) began Operation Yanomami Shield 2023, with air control of the area of the Yanomami Indigenous Land and surroundings.
The operation should be commanded by the Ministry of Justice and Public Security. Funai monitors the actions and devises strategies to prevent prospectors from moving to other indigenous areas.
“There is no legal authorization for this exploitation. So, everything that is mining that is in the Yanomami territory is considered illegal. Therefore, they need to be removed immediately. This is what the federal government is determined to do at this moment.”said Minister Sonia Guajajara.
According to a study carried out by researchers from INPE (National Institute for Space Research) and the University of South Alabama, in the United States, illegal mining on indigenous lands in the Legal Amazon has increased by 1,217% in the last 35 years.
From 1985 to 2020, the area affected by prospecting activity increased from 7.45 km² to 102.16 km². Almost all illegal mining (95%) is in just 3 indigenous lands: Kayapó, Munduruku and Yanomami.
YANOMAMI HUMANITARIAN CRISIS
The indigenous people of the Yanomami ethnic group suffer from lack of health care and face cases of severe malnutrition and malaria. On January 20, the Ministry of Health declared a public health emergency in the territory because of the problems.
The president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT) visited the region on January 21. He said that indigenous people are treated in a “inhuman”. At the time, emergency measures to address the ethnic health crisis were announced.
The FAB has carried out daily cargo launches (the so-called aerial resupply) to send supplies to indigenous villages. Doctors and nurses from the national force of the SUS began to reinforce the assistance to the indigenous people on January 23rd.
On Friday (Feb 3), volunteers from the National Force of the SUS began to disembark in Boa Vista (RR). In all, 40 professionals arrived by Sunday (Feb 5) – including nutritionists, pharmacists, social workers, doctors and nurses.
However, the Ministry of Health announced that 70% of vacancies for doctors in Yanomami territory are vacant.
The TCU (Union Court of Auditors) and the CGU (Union Comptroller General) carry out a joint audit to investigate the causes of the Yanomami crisis. Deputies want to open a CPI (Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry) to investigate the case.
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