Brazil Halts Illegal Mining Transportation in Yanomani Lands

On Monday, Brazil's President Lula da Silva ordered the implementation of several measures to prevent air and river transportation of illegal mining in the reserve of the Yanomani people.

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"These initiatives seek to combat, as quickly as possible, illegal mining and other criminal activities in the region," the Brazilian Presidency announced, explaining that air and river transportation allow criminal groups to carry out their actions in the Amazon jungle.

Lula met with the Air Force commander Marcelo Damasceno to discuss emergency actions for the protection and assistance of the Yanomanis, who are going through a humanitarian crisis and a health emergency, due to acute malnutrition and outbreaks of tropical diseases.

The ongoing protection measures seek to prevent not only illegal business activities but also the access of people carrying diseases, who could further affect Indigenous communities that prefer to avoid contact with Western society.

The tweet reads, "What happened to the Yanomami people during the Bolsonaro administration has only one name: it was genocide. The Indigenous people were left to their fate due to Jair's cruel mismanagement."

To normalize the situation in the Amazon villages, the Lula administration is providing the Yanomani with food, medical attention, and security.

The Brazilian government is also implementing projects for the supply of drinking water through artisan wells and cisterns, which will reduce the impact on people generated by mercury contamination.

Given the seriousness of the situation within the communities, Justice Minister Flavio Dino ordered the Federal Police to initiate investigations for the probable crime of "genocide" during the Jair Bolsonaro administration (2019-2022).