Operation in Rio Madeira destroys rafts used for illegal mining and leads to protests

Ívina Garcia – Cenarium Magazine

MANAUS – A new operation against illegal mining destroyed rafts used for extraction in the Madeira River, in Porto Velho, Rondônia. The joint action between the Federal Police and the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) led to the burning of 81 dredges on Wednesday afternoon, 12.

With the name “Lex Et Ordo”, “Lei e Ordem” (Law and Order) in Portuguese”, the operation sought to dismantle the network of criminal organizations that exploit and pollute the rivers with illegal mining activities. According to the agency, among the practices are the deviation of the river course, destruction of vegetation and the extinction of waterways.

Read more: ‘Floating Island’: more than 100 rafts of illegal mining are caught in the region of Rio Madeira in the AM – Agência Amazônia

Moreover, illegal mining in areas of environmental preservation directly impacts the surrounding residents. This is because to perform the extraction, ores are dumped into the river and culminate in the contamination of the waters and consequently the death of fish and other animals essential for the continuity of the fauna.

Ibama had initiated investigations of the vessels that were moored along the bed of the Madeira River. According to the agency, several irregularities were observed during the inspections and that is why the Federal Police was called in to help destroy the irregular equipment. This is the third operation carried out along the Madeira River in 2022.

Manifestation

Also on the same day, miners and their families held a demonstration against the police action and closed a stretch of the BR-319 highway in Porto Velho for more than three hours. Tires and other materials were set on fire on the road leading to the Organized Port and the bridge over the Madeira River.

As soon as it began, long lines of cars, trucks, and trailers formed along the road and teams from the Rondônia security force went to the site to negotiate the release of the stretch that connects Rondônia to Amazonas.

The president of the Legislative Assembly of Rondônia, Alex Redano (Republicans), also spoke out against the burning of the rafts and repudiated the action of Ibama and the Federal Police. “The action is abusive and illegal, because it destroys the dredges, machinery and equipment used in the mining activity, unilaterally, without due legal process, without the right to defense, without any respected legal principle, which we cannot accept,” he repudiated.

Read more: Court overturns decree that legalized gold mining in Rio Madeira, Rondônia

As in other states in the North Region, lawmakers in Rondônia defend the regularization of mining activity and the extinction of actions resulting in the burning of the materials used in extraction. In Rondônia, the Legislative Assembly approved Law 1511/21, which determines the prohibition for environmental agencies in the state of Rondônia, regarding the destruction and disablement of private property seized in operations and environmental inspections, authored by lawmaker Redano.

The state law does not apply to Wednesday’s action, carried out by federal agencies. “There is no regulation, there are no guarantees, and there is only repression. The mining activity is marginalized and treated in a wrong way, unfortunately. A sector that has contributed and contributes so much to our economy, but which has always faced persecution”, ratifies Redano.