Brazil has once again a worldwide embarrassment because of the Bolsonaro government’s policy for the Amazon. In the past few days, Brazilian and international press have been insistently reporting scandals involving: (1) the spread of covid-19 pandemic over indigenous territories; (2) data about the growth of deforestation in the midst of a pandemic; and (3) the denunciations and requests for sacking the Minister of Environment, Ricardo Salles, in face of his positions absurdly against the environmental protection.
The spread of covid-19 throughout indigenous territories
The transmission of diseases from white people has always been a major cause of indigenous genocide throughout history. Unfortunately, with covid-19 is not different. The data from the Indigenous Peoples of Brazil Association (APIB), released on 10 July, on contamination and deaths of indigenous people by the new coronavirus are frightening: 13,241 infected and 461 dead from 127 different communities. That in a total population of less than 900,000 indigenous people who inhabit territories located in Brazil, forming 300 peoples who speak 200 languages.
The pandemic reached the Yanomami in Roraima, who already account for 80 contaminated and 4 killed by the virus. The disease reached the indigenous land through the gold miners who, even in the pandemic, did not stop their economic activities, which are illegal and absolutely non-essential.
Indigenous genocide goes hand in hand with ethnocide. As the elderly are the main Covid-19 victims, the death of ancients is leading to the loss of multiple skills, knowledge, traditions and even entire languages.
The responsibility for this indigenous genocide and ethnocide rests entirely on the Jair Bolsonaro government. The fascist president does not even try to disguise his murderous policy when, on 8 July, he vetoed very important articles of the Bill approved by the National Parliament. That Bill sought to protect indigenous peoples and quilombola communities from the effects of the pandemic; such as ensuring access to drinking water, the distribution of hygiene and cleaning supplies, the delivery of basic food supplies, the deployment of hospital beds and internet access for these populations.
With these vetoes, Bolsonaro highlights his genocidal plan for the country’s indigenous peoples, especially those ones in the Amazon region.
The growth of deforestation in the midst of pandemic
Parallel to the advancement of covid-19 in the Amazon, deforestation in the region has also increased in a frightening way. In the midst of the pandemic, which led to a drastic reduction in economic activity in the country in nearly all segments, the Real Time Deforestation Detection System (Deter) of INPE (Space Research Institute) confirmed, for the 14th consecutive month, the increase deforestation in the Amazon biome, being the highest index for a June month since 2016.
This ecocidal policy is directly encouraged by the Minister of Environment, Ricardo Salles, who gives carte blanche to landowners, ranchers and gold miners to advance in the plunder and pillage of our natural resources. This process is connected to the policy of “passing the cattle” of changes in environmental legislation and the dismantling of inspection bodies, such as Ibama and ICMBio.
Not even the government’s mise en scene on announcing Operation Green Brazil 2, under the command of the vice president, General Hamilton Mourão, was enough to contain criticisms of Salles and Bolsonaro’s anti-environmental policy, including criticisms from some business leaders in Brazil and abroad.
In an opportunistic way, multinationals and big capitalists – who have always been linked to environmental degradation in the name of easy profit -, now pressured by public opinion, seek to free the image of their companies from the overwhelming destruction of the Amazon. Won’t be allied with the foreign or national Capitalists, with its “green” speech on occasion, that we will, in fact, protect the environment and the indigenous peoples.
The World Assembly for the Amazon is coming
In view of the accelerated and immense environmental destruction, the social movements, collectives, networks, organizations of indigenous peoples, quilombolas, riverside dwellers, rubber tapper workers, caboclos, peasants, nature defenders, inhabitants of Amazonian cities, among others, will meet at the First World Assembly for the Amazon that will take place virtually on the 18 and 19 of July.
The aim is to articulate an alliance to serve the existing platforms and campaigns, to strengthen actions in the defence of the human, indigenous peoples and nature rights. The Assembly intends to define action proposals around three campaigns that are being articulated:
1. Global campaign to face the serious impacts of Covid19 on indigenous peoples, peoples of African origin and the entire Amazon.
2. Global campaign to boycott products, companies, investments, government policies, trade agreements and extractive industries that destroy the Amazon.
3. Global mobilization journeys to stop ethnocide, ecocide and extractivism, and to save the Amazon, an essential step to tackle climate change.
Salles has no conditions to remain in office
In view of the enormous erosion of Brazil’s image in the world and the struggle of environmental movements and indigenous peoples, on 6 July, the Federal Prosecutor’s Office (MPF) asked for Ricardo Salles’ immediate removal from the position of Minister of Environment. The MPF correctly accuses Salles of “dismantling the protection of the environment”.
There are plenty of evidence and facts to support such an accusation. The truth is that Salles was never able to assume the role of Minister, as it is well-known the judicial processes to which he responds (including with conviction) of illicit enrichment, administrative impropriety and environmental fraud for his performance when he was Secretary of Environment of the State of São Paulo.
However, now more than ever, after 16 months of Bolsonaro’s government and the situation which environmental destruction has reached in our country, his permanence in office is unsustainable.
Overthrowing Salles is a necessary condition to start reversing the federal government’s genocidal, ethnocidal and ecocidal policy. In defence of the Amazon, Salles Out! And take Bolsonaro along!
Comentários