The resignation of Julio Gaiger from the presidency of Funai did
not surprise groups which are keeping track of the Indianist policy
adopted in the country. Gaiger had been in office since March 1996.
His resignation was announced by the minister of Justice, Iris
Resende. The problems and isolation of Gaiger could be clearly felt
for some time. He was also affected by his inability to negotiate with
indigenous peoples, as he often refused to dialogue with and recognize
important leaders who tried to be heard by him.
The former president of Funai blamed his situation on the Xavante
(state of Mato Grosso) - who wanted him out since October - and on
president Fernando Henrique Cardoso, accusing him of having restricted
the indigenous issue to a land problem, in order to appease the
international public opinion. A Brazilian radio station compared the
position of president of Funai to that of a soccer coach, because of
its high turnover. Gaiger was the third president of the agency under
the Fernando Henrique administration.
In Cimi's opinion, Gaiger's complaints to the press are
ungrounded. The entity believes his resignation will not change the
situation of indigenous peoples in any way. He played a key role in
making the decree 1,775/96 feasible and in upholding it, thereby
ensuring the present guidelines of the official Indianist policy.
Although Gaiger says that minister Jobim managed to settle indigenous
land issues, Cimi denounces that the decree 1,775 favoured private
interests to the detriment of indigenous populations, as it enhanced
land conflicts and multiplied the number of lawsuits filed against the
demarcation of indigenous lands.
The Ministry of Justice admits that the provisions of Decree
1,775/96 could be improved. Such possibility was mentioned at a
meeting held at the ministry on the 16th with representatives of the
3rd Brazil Shout for Land movement, which was also attended by Cimi
and Capoib (Council for the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples and
Organizations of Brazil) representatives. Irritated with the criticism
voiced by the two entities, the representatives of minister Iris
Resende requested suggestions from Cimi as to how the Decree could be
improved.
PANKARARU THREATEN TO DESTROY ENERGY TOWERS
The Pankararu Indians in the state of Pernambuco are ready to burn
power transmission towers in 60 days if actions to remove invaders
from their demarcated 8,100-hectare indigenous area in the
municipalities of Petrolandia and Tacaratu are not taken by then. If
the towers, which belong to the Paulo Afonso Power Plant (Bahia), are
burned, six states in the Brazilian Northeast may remain without
electricity: Pernambuco, Alagoas, Paraiba, Rio Grande do Norte, Ceara
and Maranhao. The Pankararu are adopting the same line of action as
that of the Krikati in Maranhao, who in February of this year
destroyed two transmission towers belonging to the Tucurui power plant
and thereby managed to have their lands demarcated.
The conflict between the Pankararu and squatters has been going on
for 40 years. 483 families will be receiving an indemnification
amounting to 4.3 million dollars for improvements they made in the
land they occupied. In February of this year, they occupied Funai's
office in Recife, capital of the state of Pernambuco, to claim
damages.
PRIVATIZATION OF FORESTS IS
CRITICIZED BY ENVIRONMENTALIST GROUPS
The plans of the Brazilian government to privatize the
exploitation of public forests were strongly criticized by
environmentalists such as federal deputy Fernando Gabeira (Green Party
- Rio de Janeiro), Greenpeace members and Roberto Smeraldi, a World
Bank consultant who is a member of the Friends of the Earth
organization. The decision was announced by the president of the
Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural
Resources (Ibama), Eduardo Martins. The area to be privatized is
called Flora Tapajos and covers 5,000 hectares in Santarem, state of
Para. The winning bidder will be allowed to exploit timber in the area
for five years.
The main criticism voiced by the World Bank consultant is that the
period during which companies will be allowed to exploit timber in
that area is too short, as native species such as Andiroba (crab-tree)
and Tabiuba take 30-35 years to grow again. According to Smeraldi, the
period is shorter than the growth cycle of the trees and, moreover,
once it expires, the company will return completely degraded lands to
the government which will be much more subject to erosion. A World
Bank mission which visited the area was warned by local communities
that they won't be able to plant anything in it anymore if a private
corporation takes over.
The director of Greenpeace in Brazil, Robert Kristin, said that
the idea was copied from the United States, Canada and parts of
Europe, where it works because effective inspection mechanisms are in
place, where as in Brazil the activities of woodcutters are practically
not inspected at all. Deputy Fernando Gabeira fears that the proposal
will destroy forests.
In Cimi's opinion, the Brazilian government is privatizing forests
to facilitate the action of the same timber companies and woodcutters
who have been plundering the region. The decision will show how
ineffective the inspectors of the federal administration are and will,
in practice, lead to a greater degradation of the environment. It will
also show that this privatization effort is in tune with the
neoliberal model being implemented in Brazil, which stimulates even
more the concentration of large environmental areas under the control
of private corporations.
Brasilia, 17 July 1997
Indianist Missionary Council - Cimi