Less than one year since its demarcation, the territory of the
Yanomami Indians is once again being invaded. It is estimated taht
about five thousand gold prospectors have returned to the Indian
area, jeopardizing the survival of the Yanomami.
The most visible signs of the reinvasion of the gold prospectors
can be seen in Boa Vista, capital of Roraima, the state where most of
the area is located. The stores that sell equipment used in
gold-prospecting activities are experiencing a sales boom, the hotels
are once again full and the real estate market is hot. Real estate
sales and rents have grown by 40% in the last two months, according
to the owner of a real estate company. The gold market has been
reactivated as well.
The Indian territory is not being inspected in any way. The last
Federal Police agents who were still in the area were removed on the
13th of this month. The agents were taking part in the "Free Jungle
Operation," which began in 1990 with the aim of destroying illegal
runways built in Yanomami lands and removing gold prospectors from
the area. According to the National Indian Foundation (FUNAI), the
Federal Police left the area mainly because there are no funds to
keep it there.
With the gold prospectors moving about freely in the Indian area,
the incidence of diseases among the Indians, partucularly of malaria,
is once again growing. This year, about 150 Yanomami have died from
malaria and the situation tends to worsen.
WOOD
----
In the state of Amazonas, on the border between Brasil, Peru, and
Colombia, woodcutting companies are continuing to devastate the Javari
Valley Indian Area, where 12 peoples live, some of which have never
had any contact with society. 90 per cent of the wood traded by the
companies established in the municipality of Benjamin Constant come
from this area. Woodcutter Alvaro Caldas Magalhaes even said that he
is ready to challenge the Federal Police to remain in the Indian
territory. He also threatened to kill staff members of the indianist
agency, Indian leaders and missionaries with the Indians.
The threat was voiced after federal agents seized 580 tons of
wood, chain saws and a tractor inside the area. According to the
Federal Police, the woodcutters were using a tractor to clear strips
the size of avenues inside the forest, indiscriminately cutting dowm
trees of all types and sizes. However, the owners of the equipment
were not found.
In order to avoid violence and to make sure that the woodcutters
will be removed from the area, sevenal entities are asking the
minister of Justice, Mauricio Correa, to provide protection to all
those who have been threatened to die and to speed up the procedures
for the demarcation of the Indian area. If measures are not taken,
more conflicts are likely to take place.
Brasilia, November 19th, 1992
CIMI - Indianist Missionary Coucil