March 11, 2022

07:03

Eduardo Figueiredo and Priscilla Peixoto – from Cenarium Magazine

MANAUS – The approval of the urgency request of the Bill (PL) authored by the Bolsonaro government that releases the exploitation of mineral resources, water and organic resources in Indigenous Lands (ITs) had the support of more than half of the lawmakers of the Amazon. Of the 279 votes in favor of the text, 50 were from parliamentarians of the 9 states that make up the Legal Amazon.

In total, there are 85 representatives from the Amazon region in the House of Representatives. The vote among the Amazon States was divided as follows: Roraima (4), Amapá (4), Pará (9), Amazonas (5), Rondônia (3), Acre (3), Tocantins (5), Maranhão (10) and Mato Grosso (7). See below the list with the names of the lawmakers:

The approval of the PL allows the proposal to be processed more quickly. The vote on the merit, however, was postponed to the first half of April this year and should take place in the House plenary.

A working group was created by the president of the House, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), to analyze the Mining Bill. The collegiate, according to Lira, will have 30 days to return the analyzed text with a final opinion about the measure.

Without plausible justification

According to the environmentalist and master in ecology Carlos Durigan, there is no plausible justification for the measure that treats mining in Indigenous Lands and Conservation Units “on the fly and without adequate debate, hurting the rights of the various Brazilian indigenous peoples”.

“This process, besides being unconstitutional, hurts international agreements of which Brazil is a part, such as Convention 169 of the ILO, where the Brazilian State undertakes to protect indigenous peoples and their rights. In addition, mining activities have a high impact on our natural heritage contained in these territories”, says Durigan.

The environmentalist highlights the deficiencies of monitoring in protected areas and the impacts suffered by those who inhabit these regions. “We already have enormous weaknesses to monitor and supervise activities outside protected areas; how would we be able to control activities in sensitive territories, where impacts will certainly be generated on the people who live there, on biodiversity and ecosystems and, as a result, affecting the quality of the environmental services they provide us?” he stresses..

According to Durigan, this is a process that comes from the package of destruction by political sectors with no concern for the Amazon and the environment. “It is nothing more than another bull from the package of destruction by political sectors that have no commitment to take care of people and our common good that is our national natural heritage”, he highlights.

Desperation on the part of the government

In a statement, Greenpeace says that PL 191 is another absurdity of the current government that, if approved, will directly affect 43 isolated indigenous peoples in the Brazilian Amazon. Bolsonaro claims that a large potash mine, located in the region of Autazes (AM), could already be being exploited if it were not for the current legislation, which prohibits the exploitation of minerals within protected areas in Brazil.

“Thus, the president takes advantage of the war in Ukraine to justify exploitation in Indigenous Lands. For him, this would reduce the country’s dependence on imports of the input from Russia and also from Belarus”, emphasizes the note.

According to the spokesperson for Greenpeace Brazil, Danicley de Aguiar, the attempt to rush the vote on PL 191/2020 using the context of war, in addition to demonstrating the government’s contempt for the rights of indigenous peoples in Brazil, also demonstrates its incompetence to deal with the challenges created by the policy that made us and keeps us hostages to the export of commodities to the world.

“It is not of today that the mining lobby has subjected parliamentary action to the interests of millionaire corporations to the detriment of the public interest and, above all, the fundamental rights and guarantees of the Brazilian population. Today, it is the indigenous rights, tomorrow, it will be the rights of all of us”, says the spokesperson.

See the list of Amazon lawmakers who voted in favor:

RORAIMA
Hiran Gonçalves (PP)

Jhonatan de Jesus (Republicano)

Nicoletti (União)

Shéridan (PSDB)

AMAPÁ
André Abdon (PP)

Jorielson (PL)

Leda Sadala (Avante)

Pedro Dalua (PSC)

PARÁ
Celso Sabino (União)

Cristiano Vale (PP)

Delegate Eder Mauro (PSD)

Joaquim Passarinho (PSD)

José Prianti (MDB)

Júnior Ferrari (PSD)

Nilson Pinto (PSDB)

Paulo Bengtson (PTB)

Vavá Martins (Republicano)

AMAZONAS
Bosco Saraiva (Solidarity)

Capitão Alberto Neto (Republicano)

Delegate Pablo (União)

Sidney Leite (PSD)

Silas Câmara (Republicano)

RONDÔNIA
Colonel Chrisóstomo (União)

Lúcio Mosquini (MDB)

Mariana Carvalho (PSDB)

ACRE
Alan Rick (União)

Dr. Vanda Milani (Solidarity)

Mara Rocha (PSDB)

TOCANTINS
Carlos Henrique Gaguim (Republicano)

Eli Borges (Solidarity)

Osires Damaso (PSC)

Tiago Dimas (Solidarity)

Vicentinho Júnior (PL)

MARANHÃO
André Fufuca (PP)

Cleber Verde (Republican)

Edilázio Júnior (PSD)

Gastão Vieira (Pros)

Gil Cutrim (Republican)

Hildo Rocha (MDB)

Josimar Maranhãozinho (PL)

Josivaldo JP (Podemos)

Juscelino Filho (Union)

Pastor Gil (PL)

MATO GROSSO
Dr. Leonardo (Solidarity)

Emanuel Pinheiro (PTB)

José Medeiros (Podemos)

Juarez Costa (MDB)

Nelson Barbudo (União)

Neri Geller (PP)

Valternir Pereira (MDB)