‘New hope’, says Yanomami leader on actions against illegal mining
09 de January de 2025
Ian Vitor Freitas – From Cenarium
BOA VISTA (RR) – The indigenous leader and president of Urihi – Yanomami Association, Júnior Hekurari, spoke positively about the actions against illegal mining in 2024, in a statement to CENARIUM on Friday, 3. On the 31st, the federal government reported that it ended last year with more than 3,800 operations to combat invaders and protect the Yanomami Indigenous Land (TIY), located in the states of Roraima and Amazonas.
“Today, the Yanomami people and the forest are seeing new hope and a light for better conditions. The federal government has restored our well-being within our communities, and with the operations we have been able to return to our homes and finally organize ourselves again. We are now returning to our old customs, such as rituals, festivals and community work to rebuild the lives we lost. In 2021 and 2022 we lost many children and today we can organize ourselves to bury the ashes of those loved ones we no longer have”, said Hekurari.
The Government House, which has coordinated the actions over the last nine months, has worked to remove several invaders in the TIY, by destroying criminal logistics and providing assistance to indigenous communities.
According to Junior Hekurari, the indigenous leaders of the region recognize the complex work the Government House carries out within the territory. For him, compared to previous years, the year 2024 represented a great advance in the removal of miners from the region.
Reduction in new mining operations
The data released by the federal government shows that there has been a 96.3% reduction in the opening of new mines compared to 2022, when illegal mining was at its peak in the TIY.
In those years, thousands of miners were registered in the territory, resulting in devastating impacts such as malnutrition, an increase in malaria cases, food shortages and the interruption of traditional farming.
“It’s important that the federal government’s work continues in the territory, maintaining these operations until the last prospector is removed, so that it doesn’t come back like it did in 2022. Our hopes are renewed, the trees and fruit are growing again, even if the fish are contaminated, we don’t have any other forms of food, so we’re also back to fishing. Sesai also needs to maintain its activities, because we’re still suffering a lot from malaria”, she said.
Organized actions against illegal mining
Working together with various agencies, the federal government and the Casa de Governo have managed to combat the expansion of illegal mining in the region. The Federal Highway Police (PRF), for example, seized 21.6 kilos of gold, valued at more than R$ 10 million, during an inspection on the BR-174 highway in Rorainópolis (RR).
In addition, in 2024, the Federal Police (PF) seized 7.8 kilos of illegal gold at the airport in Roraima. The appraised value amounted to approximately R$ 3 million. In total, more than 33 kilos of gold were seized during the year.
The actions also took place on the border, with the seizure of 103 kilos of mercury, valued at R$ 309,000 which was to be used for illegal extraction in TIY. Totaling these operations in 2024, the figures reach 226 kilos of mercury confiscated.
In relation to the destruction of materials used in mining, there were more than 80,000 liters of diesel oil and the interdiction of gas stations that supported criminal activities, as well as the obstruction of more than 50 clandestine airstrips, 1,063 engines and more than 120 tons of cassiterite, in addition to rendering 26 aircraft used to transport equipment and supplies unusable, dismantling the infrastructure that supported criminal operations in the TIY.
Finally, 19,365 approaches were made, resulting in 2,516 fines, 229 notices issued and 159 arrests, directly affecting criminal networks. The fines imposed totaled R$ 11.4 million, financially weakening the illegal operations. The actions also caused an accumulated loss of R$ 267 million to illegal mining, significantly weakening the logistics of the activities.