“We will treat the Yanomami as a matter of State,” says Lula

 Today, (January 9), Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva attended a meeting with ministers and other government representatives to discuss issues referring to the Yanomami Indigenous Lands. The goal was to take stock of what was accomplished in 2023 and outline new public policies to assist this indigenous people. Structuring measures have been planned for 2024 based on BRL 1.2 billion in investments.

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“We are going to treat indigenous and Yanomami issues as matters of State. That is to say that we are going to have to make an even greater effort, using all the power the State is capable of — because we can no longer lose this war to illegal mining, to illegal loggers, to people who are doing things that go against what the law establishes”

Brazil's President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

"This meeting is to define once and for all what our government is going to do to prevent indigenous Brazilians from continuing to be the victims of massacres, of vandalism, of mining and of people who want to invade lands that are preserved, have owners and cannot be used," said Lula at the beginning of the meeting.

One of the Brazilian Government’s priorities is to intensify Federal agency measures to protect the Yanomami indigenous people and combat illegal mining in their region.

“We are going to treat indigenous and Yanomami issues as matters of State. That is to say that we are going to have to make an even greater effort, using all the power the State is capable of—because we can no longer lose this war to illegal mining, to illegal loggers, to people who are doing things that go against what the law establishes,” said Lula

PERMANENT ACTION – “We came from a year in which a set of emergency measures were put in place to 2024, in which permanent and structuring measures will be carried out in that region. This is the change that we are undertaking after this meeting,” highlighted Civil Office Minister Rui Costa.

The Minister also said that a locally-based permanent headquarter (“Government House”) will be established to manage the measures that are going to be implemented, as well as to prevent invasion of the lands. “Alongside the Ministry of Defense and the Federal Police, we are going to structure the occupation of the Armed Forces and the Federal Police in the region—not in a provisional way, or as an emergency measure, but with a definitive presence to remove invaders. This is also true in the field of territorial control and public security,” highlighted Costa.

The structure of this Government House will comprise bodies such as Funai; the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples; the Ministry of the Environment; the Federal Police; Abin; the Federal Highway Police; Ibama; the Ministry of Human Rights; and the Ministry of Education, among others. Rui Costa explained that the permanent presence of the Brazilian State on site demonstrates the seriousness of the work and the continuity of structuring measures. “Fishing and crops must be reestablished—and food security must not depend on the distribution of Brazil’s basic food baskets,” Costa pointed out.

The head of the Civil House stated that the Government House will strive for dialogue with the state and municipalities, and present economic alternatives to the capital and to the state so that employment and income are viable for the population.

“This Government House will also deal with another topic: the conditions that Venezuelan citizens who entered and are entering the state of Roraima are living in. Over 800 thousand citizens from Venezuela have entered Brazil; an estimated 100 thousand of them are living in Roraima. Therefore, installing this headquarter is urgent,” said Rui Costa.

FOOD & HEALTH – From a humanitarian point of view, food stored by the Brazilian Armed Forces will also be distributed. Minister Rui Costa said that this work will continue during the months of January, February and March. From April onwards, this operation will be made possible through a new contract.

Moreover, the Ministry of Health is now undertaking a bidding process for the construction of a new Indigenous Health House (Casai). “Emergency renovations were carried out in the existing unit while the design and bidding process for the new unit were being prepared. Both have been concluded and are now undergoing the bidding process,” highlighted Rui Costa.

WHAT WAS DONE IN 2023

• The government recognized the serious health and nutritional situation of the Yanomami people and established a Public Health Emergency Operations Center (COE-6 Yanomami)—coordinated by the Ministry of Health—for emergency measures in response to the situation. In 2023, more than 13 thousand healthcare services were provided to indigenous people facing abandonment— by teams in the territory, a Field Hospital, and Indigenous Health House (Casai) and health units. Altogether, 4.3 million units of medicines and other supplies were sent to the region, and 52,659 doses of vaccines were administered. All in all, 1,850 health workers were involved, all working in shifts.

• Control of the airspace of the Yanomami Indigenous Lands to combat clandestine flights over the territory, and to close the main mining supply route. Air transportation of indigenous people and supplies, medical care, and arrests were also carried out, adding up to 7,358 flight hours. Altogether, 430 indigenous people were transported; 164 people were detained; and 36,645 food baskets were transported through the Yanomami and Ágata Fronteira Norte operations.

• The Federal Police launched 13 operations in 2023, resulting in 114 search and seizure warrants; 175 arrests; and BRL 589 million in seized assets. Altogether, 387 investigations are underway. Among the operations that were launched, Buruburu is a highlight: it dismantled a flight logistics scheme used by miners with the involvement of businessmen, drug and weapons traffickers, pilots, mechanics, and fuel distributors, among others. Around 50 police officers served 11 preventive arrest warrants, 18 search and seizure warrants and 10 warrants with precautionary measures other than arrest. All warrants were issued by the Federal Court of Roraima, and almost BRL 308 million from those who are being investigated were blocked.

• Investigations focused on major sponsors of the illegal gold trade, with the Federal Police at the forefront, aiming to break the chain of illegal gold commerce and determine the criminal responsibility of its largest financiers. Unused assets: 88 ferries, 12 aircraft, 35 boats, 357 engines, 74 power generators, 31 chainsaws, 450 camping tents. Seizures: 10 aircraft, 37 firearms, 874 firearm ammunition, 205 cell phones, among others.

• Ibama launched Operation Xapiri to combat environmental crimes, effectively occupying the territory and remaining on the lands. Attacks to active mines and interruption of main commercial routes, supply lines and logistical warehouses that supply and transport mines’ production. Lines of action: raids on active mining sites, river blockade of the Mucajaí and Uraricoera rivers, actions on clandestine airstrips, inspection of aviation fuel trade and prioritization in the judgment of infraction notice processes.

• Embargoes: Identification and embargo of 6,907.11 hectares that were degraded by mining activities within Yanomami Indigenous Lands.

• Infraction notices: 173 notices drawn up, BRL 60,355,150.00 in fines

• Seizures: 238 terms of seizure; value of assets estimated at BRL 94 million

• Airstrips: 205 inspections of airstrips between Boa Vista and Yanomami IL (indigenous land); 31 runways and helipads blocked; 78 tracks being monitored; 209 monitored runways or helipads outside Yanomami IL.

• Aviation fuel trade: eight infraction notices, with the imposition of fines totaling BRL 10.8 million relating to 1.5 million liters of aviation fuel sold illegally.

EMERGENCY MEASURES – During the first month of his term, President Lula flew over the regions and adopted emergency measures to help the Yanomami. Among the measures was the immediate delivery of 4 thousand basic food baskets, as well as supplements for children. Equipment, medical supplies and health professionals (an ambulance, specialist doctors) were also sent.

The meeting was attended by Brazil’s Vice-President and Minister of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services Geraldo Alckmin; ministers Rui Costa (Civil Office);, Flávio Dino (Justice and Public Security); José Múcio (Defence); Wellington Dias (Development and Social Assistance); Nísia Trindade (Health); Esther Dweck (Public Management and Innovation); Marina Silva (Environment); Silvio Almeida (Human Rights); Sônia Guajajara (Indigenous Peoples); Márcio Macêdo (General Secretariat); Alexandre Padilha (Institutional Relations); and Paulo Pimenta (Social Communication)—as well as by the President of FUNAI Joenia Wapichana and the Director General of Brazil’s Federal Police Andrei Rodrigues.