WORLD BANK PRESSURES STATE OF RONDONIA
Representatives of the World Bank (IRDB) in Brazil asked the
government of the state of Rondonia to check accusations of invasion
and depredation of the indigenous area of Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau and of the
Guajara-Mirim state park. The World Bank is funding the Agriculture/
Livestock and Forest Recovery Plan of Rondonia (Planafloro), whose
objective, among others, is ``to strengthen the system of inspection and
control of protected areas in the state of Rondonia''. In November of
last year the bank had warned governor Valdir Raupp that the deadline
for the conclusion of the project would only be extended if those areas
were inspected and controlled and, because of the new accusations, it
requested the government of that state to provide a detailed description
of plans to protect indigenous territories. Indianist entities fear that
the Planafloro, which was implemented in mid-1992, may produce the same
disastrous results brought about by another program funded by the World
Bank - the Polonoroeste - which caused serious environmental damages in
the region.
The accusations involving the two indigenous areas came from CIMI,
the Eco-Environmental Defense Association - Kaninde, and the Board of
Indigenous Nations and Peoples of Rondonia, North of Mato Grosso do Sul
and South of Amazonas (CUNPIR). CIMI revealed that the only inspection
carried out last year showed that approximately 400 families are living
in the Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau area, of which only 20 reside there permanently,
while the rest are there to take possession of plots and/or fell trees.
The machines that were seized during this inspection were returned to
the invaders for unknown reasons. The Kaninde entity is requesting and
audit of the environmental component of the Planafloro program, which
will probably reveal that millions of cubic meters of hardwood were
stolen from the indigenous areas in question. Still according to
Kaninde, 80% of the resources available for inspection purposes were
cut and a new interinstitutional group was set up to follow up this
activity, which did not include various Indian-supporting NGOs.
According to a letter written by CUNPIR, the Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau Indians
area being bullied and mistreated by woodcutters, ``grileiros''(persons
who produce false title deeds to take possession of land illegally) and
squatters who area being encouraged by unscrupulous politicians to
invade the area and build roads in them to facilitate the transportation
of the stolen hardwood. The action of the invaders affects the life of
the indigenous population, whose game is fleeing the destroyed forest.
The damages caused to the indigenous population affect humankind at
large as well, because a specific biodiversity is being destroyed.
JOBIM's EXIT STIRS THE EXPECTATIONS OF INVADERS OF INDIGENOUS AREAS
The exit of Nelson Jobim from the Ministry of Justice is stirring
the expectations of invaders of indigenous areas. According to the
national press, Jobim will take office as justice of the Supreme Federal
Court some time between now and March. The Ministry of Justice has not
confirmed this information, but some regional newspapers have been
publishing news about politicians who claim that some pending
demarcations of indigenous areas will be settled before Jobim leaves the
ministry. The first case refers to the Bau indigenous area, the land of
the Kaiapo Indians in the state of Para. The newspaper O Liberal says
that, based on the adversary system provided for in Decree 1,775/96,
the minister will analyze an appeal filed by a mayor to settle an issue
involving that indigenous reservation. Another case refers to the
Panambizinho indigenous area in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, a
region where the suicide rate among the Guarani-Kaiowa is high. In this
case, according to the O Progresso newspaper, local politicians are
assuring settlers that the minister will annul a decree which expanded
the indigenous area in December of 1995. According to that decision,
the area was expanded from 60 to 1,180 hectares. The settlers were in
the indigenous area 37 years ago under a Land Reform project developed
by late president Getulio Vargas.
Brasilia, 6 February 1997
Indianist Missionary Council - CIMI