Development threat to Amazon Indians, rainforest

October 1, 1997
Issue 

By Barry Healy

One hundred representatives of native peoples from Brazil, Venezuela and Guyana held their first ever summit in Boa Vista, capital of Brazil's northernmost state of Roraima, for four days at the end of August. Leaders from the three countries said the problems they faced were similar and denounced development projects that are threatening their lives.

The summit was called in opposition to plans to develop the region with road and electricity line construction across the three countries' borders. The billion-dollar regional integration plans would destroy pristine areas of rainforest.

Of most concern was a planned electricity line to Boa Vista from the Guri Dam in Venezuela. The line would cut through the Canaima national park in Venezuela and the Sao Marcos Indian reserve in Brazil.

Other concerns were the planned super-highway from Manaus in the Brazilian Amazon to Venezuela's capital, Caracas, and another road from Manaus to Georgetown, Guyana. These would affect a number of Indian reserves.

"We demand land titles and demarcation before they proceed with any development projects", said Jose Poyo, president of Conive (the Venezuelan Indians' confederation).

The summit heard that while the legal situation for indigenous peoples varies in each country, they face similar problems.

Brazilian Indian land rights are written into the constitution but have been undermined by a decree allowing non-Indians to challenge Indian lands. Most Indian lands are still to be demarcated.

Guyanan Indians hold title to their land but not to its mineral wealth. Therefore, the government auctions mining concessions without reference to the indigenous inhabitants.

Venezuelan Indians said that Venezuela was a century behind in recognising their rights. Official policy is assimilation, and any attempt to give indigenous people special status is regarded as a threat to the nation's territorial integrity.

The dangers facing Brazilian Indians, even after their lands are accorded official recognition, were illustrated when one group used the summit to demand that the governments of Brazil and Venezuela help expel thousands of wildcat gold miners and clandestine logging firms from their Amazonian reserve. Yanomami leaders said their lands and lives were being destroyed.

"Our lands have been invaded by thousands of garimpeiros [wildcat miners]. At least 3000 are illegally extracting gold on our lands", said Davi Kaponawa Yanomami from the Brazilian side of the tribe's reserve, which was demarcated as Indian land in 1992. "They bring many diseases and death."

Violence between bow and arrow-bearing Indians and armed garimpeiros are frequent: in 1993, 16 Yanomami were killed.

Guyana is embroiled in land disputes with its 35,000 Amazon Indians over efforts to open more forest for commercial purposes. Foreign firms seeking a potential source of timber are interested in the country, which has one of the world's largest expanses of virgin rainforest.

Guyana has one of the South America's largest gold mines, which provides a quarter of the country's gross domestic product. Environmental groups raised the alarm when the mine's holding dam broke in July 1995, flooding a major river with cyanide-contaminated water.

The summit produced a long list of demands, including the right to be consulted about infrastructure projects and mining and logging concessions, and veto rights. In particular, participants insisted that the social and environmental impact of each project be fully studied before it is given the go-ahead.

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