Authorities defend illegal miners after police operation in Amazonas
18 de September de 2025
By Fred Santana – From Cenarium
MANAUS (AM) – The City Hall of Manicoré (AM) and the City Council of the municipality, located 332 kilometers from Manaus, released a note of repudiation this Monday, the 15th, against the federal operation to combat illegal mining carried out in the city. The statement, published on the City Hall’s official social media profile, accused the agents of promoting the “illegal burning” of family-owned mineral extraction rafts anchored at the Nossa Senhora das Dores Main Church Port.
According to the Federal Police (PF), the operation in the region followed an order from the Federal Court of Amazonas. The note, signed by the administration of Lúcio Flávio (PSD) and by the legislative body led by councilman Yuri Reis (PSD), states that the action “caused great pain and disillusionment” for families who used the rafts, in addition to highlighting risks to the local population due to explosions resulting from the destruction of the equipment.
In the statement, the City Hall and the City Council of Manicoré also expressed solidarity with the affected families and called for respect for the rights of artisanal mineral extractors. The text concludes by defending “paths of dialogue and understanding so that episodes like this do not happen again.”
The stance of the City Hall and City Council comes after an operation on the Madeira River, which resulted in the destruction of more than 70 dredges used in mining. The action was carried out by the Federal Police (PF), the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama), the National Public Security Force, the National Foundation for Indigenous Peoples (Funai), the Labor Prosecutor’s Office, the Ministry of Labor and Employment, the Federal Highway Police, and the Amazonas State Secretariat of Public Security.
The Federal Court and the Superior Court of Justice (STJ) authorized the use of explosives in the operation, a measure that had been contested by the Federal Public Defender’s Office. Monitoring of the activity on the river also had the support of Greenpeace, which identified rafts still in operation in the region.
Read full note:
The City Hall of Manicoré and the City Council publicly express their repudiation of the action that resulted in the illegal burning of the Family Mineral Extraction rafts anchored at the port of Nossa Senhora das Dores Main Church. This action took place on the very day our city celebrates its faith and devotion to its patron saint, Nossa Senhora das Dores.
Today, in Manicoré, we observe a sacred holiday, when the people gather to celebrate and give thanks. However, this festivity was interrupted by an action that caused great pain and disillusionment, with the destruction of the rafts that represent hope and the livelihood of many families who have long relied on them.
Furthermore, this operation put the safety of the local population at risk. The explosions resulting from the burning of the rafts created the danger of landslides, threatening the physical integrity of those living near the Port of the Main Church. It is essential that such actions be carried out with responsibility, respecting life and the safety of citizens.
The City Hall and the City Council express solidarity with all the families affected by this situation and demand respect for the rights of artisanal mineral extractors. It is essential that all people can work with dignity and safety, and that their ways of life be respected.
Manicoré is a city where the faith and labor of its people must be valued. May we find paths of dialogue and understanding so that episodes like this do not repeat, guaranteeing peace and the respect we all deserve.