Illegal gold mining in Munduruku lands increase by 363% under Bolsonaro

During Bolsonaro’s administration there was a 363% increase of the area degraded by illegal gold diggers in the Munduruku Indigenous Land, according to a study by the Socio-environmental Institute (ISA). Between January 2019 and May 2021, illegal mining activity has destroyed 2,264.8 hectares of the Indigenous Land in the region near the municipality of Jacareacanga, in southwest Pará state.

Antonio Oviedo, ISA advisor, attributes the expressive increase in destruction to the encouragement of the federal government. “The increase in the outbreaks of illegal mining comes together with the decrease in fines by Ibama, the willingness to accept requests to open up Indigenous Lands for mining, official sabotage of Ibama’s actions against illegal logging, the issuing of regulations that make environmental licensing more flexible in Indigenous Lands and alter the rules for certification of rural properties that overlap with Indigenous Lands, and other formal attempts to alter the regime of protection of indigenous rights,” he declared. ISA also points out that the actions of Minister Ricardo Salles were favorable to the miners who operate in the region.

Recently, a Federal Police operation to curb the invasion and fend off armed gold diggers of Munduruku and Sai Cinza Indigenous Land was cut short. The government says that the Operation was cancelled due to lack of resources.