Lula da Silva proposed measures to prevent air and river transport for mining in indigenous reservations. He intends to discuss “emergency actions” for the “protection and assistance” of indigenous peoples.
The president of Brazil, Lula da Silva, proposed several measures on Monday to prevent air and river transport of illegal mining in the Yanomani indigenous reservation, which is facing a serious health crisis.
The initiatives seek to combat, as quickly as possible, illegal mining and other criminal activities in the region, preventing air and river transportation that supplies criminal groups,” read a statement from the Brazilian presidency.
Lula da Silva met with several ministers and the commander of the air force, Marcelo Damasceno, to discuss these “emergency actions” for the “protection and assistance” of the Yanomani people.
The Yanomani, in the Brazilian Amazon, are going through a serious humanitarian crisis and a health emergency declared by the Government due to several cases of acute malnutrition and outbreaks of other diseases.
The actions also seek to prevent access to the region by persons not authorized by public authorities, not only to prevent illegal activities, but also to prevent the spread of diseases,” the presidency stressed.
The Brazilian government intends toprovide nutritional and health assistance” with “adequate food for their habits”, in addition to providing security to the indigenous people so that they can carry out their “usual activities” in the towns.
Among the measures is also the provision of drinking water for reduce the impact of mercury contamination of rivers.
Lula da Silva also determined “that all these actions must be done in the shortest possible time.in order to contain mortality and help Yanomami families.”
This situation led the Minister of Justice of Brazil, Flávio Dino, to order an investigation by the Federal Police for the probable crime of “genocide” due to the lack of attention to the Yanomami people in the previous government of Jair Bolsonaro.
The Court of Auditors, a control body, also requested investigate the use of the national budget for indigenous health during the Bolsonaro government, mainly in the Yanomani reserve, the largest in the country with ten million hectares and 27,000 indigenous people.
According to the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples, created by the current Brazilian government, at least 570 Yanomami children have died “due to mercury contamination, malnutrition and hunger” over the past four years.
The Ministry of Health indicated that more than a thousand indigenous people were treated in serious condition between January 20 and 23.
Source: Observadora
