February 18, 2022

09:02

Malu Dacio – from Cenarium Magazine

MANAUS (AM) – “Actions against mining cannot be flashy. The actions of command and control have to be permanent and effective,” the opinion is held by an environmentalist and resident of the vicinity of Tapajós, in Pará, who preferred not to reveal the identity due to the climate of tension and fear of reprisals that are constant for those who are against illegal mining activities in the state.

The sentence comes after the news that the Federal Police started last Monday, 14, the Operation Amazonian Caribbean, near the Munduruku indigenous land, in the state of Pará. 

According to the Brazilian government’s communication office, the objective of the actions is to repress illegal mining activities in the Tapajós, by seizing materials and destroying machinery used in the illegal practice, as well as to repress other environmental crimes that impact the Alter do Chão region.

The environmentalist and resident heard by CENARIUM MAGAZINE, who chose not to be identified, said that the feeling that remains is that of skepticism. “We are always a little skeptical about these command and control actions, with ‘police-like’ media bombs. Even because we saw this happen last year, or the year before… Whenever it comes out on the national network about ‘the gold mines of the Tapajós river’, there are bombs, helicopters, the Army, the police, and making a big show for the press, with cool images, and the whole thing is in the mainstream media”, criticized the resident.

But the show ends and when everyone leaves, everything returns to normal, he recalls. “A week goes by and things go back to the way they were or even worse. Without a permanent command and control action, effective ones that are perpetuated, it is difficult to believe in concrete results regarding the measures that are being taken now,” he defended.

The government’s information is that 150 state agents are participating in this action together with the following agencies: Federal Police, Federal Highway Police, National Public Security Force, Navy, Army, Brazilian Air Force, Bope, PMDF, in addition to Ibama and Funai.

The action, so far, has resulted in the destruction of four skull shovels and two engines used to pump sediments in gold extraction that were being dumped into streams that flow into the Tapajós River, polluting the river. 

Study

The ‘Amazonian Caribbean’, as the area of Alter do Chão is known, has been facing changes due to the intensification of illegal mining in the Tapajós River and its tributaries. Information published by Folha de São Paulo, on Wednesday afternoon, 16, confirms the connection of the murkier waters with mineral extraction in the locality.

The vehicle states that an expert report produced by the Federal Police analyzed satellite images collected from July 2021 to January 2022 and confirms that the increase in illegal mining is responsible for the change in the color of the water.

Geologist Alexandre Gustavo Campelo explains how the process of Garimpo in Tapajós works. “The Tapajós Garimpo is practically a ravine garimpo. So, they do deforestation and wash away all that soil,” conceptualized Alexandre.

The gold is then mixed with a sedimented material. “Then, when they wash it in search of gold, since gold is heavier, they collect the material and start putting it on the density belt. And the gold stays, then the rest of the material, which is the clay, goes away with the water,” said the geologist.

Most profitable mines

The best mines are the ones in the ravines. That’s what explains environmentalist Ricardo Ninuma. However, it causes deforestation of the margins and accentuated silting. “Particularly, I think that these actions are prepared to attack clandestine mining and try to show that the government is acting in favor of nature, together with the real defenders of the forest and the environment,” said Ricardo.

“Whoever is an environmentalist sees these actions as a show. There is no objectivity in defending, in fact, the environment. Who and how many were fined and/or arrested?”, concluded Ninuma.