Garimpeiros leave Yanomami territory “spontaneously” amid operations in the region

In the midst of Federal Government operations aimed at preventing the practice of illegal mining in Yanomami territory, the Minister of Indigenous Peoples, Sônia Guajajara, stated that several prospectors are already leaving the region “without needing the police force”.

“We have this information that many garimpeiros are leaving. It’s good that they leave, so we reduce the operation that will be done. If they leave without needing the police force, it’s better for everyone”, said the Minister of Indigenous Peoples in an interview held this Saturday (4).

Photos and videos taken by CNN record the flight of garimpeiros from the indigenous territory. According to the intelligence service of the government of the state of Roraima, these records show “people spontaneously leaving areas considered to be mining, located in the Yanomami indigenous land”.

Also according to the government of Roraima, the capacity of boats and canoes used during the exodus of prospectors drew the attention of state authorities, who contacted the Federal Government to help support the departure of these workers who opted for the “spontaneous and peaceful” exit.

“I spoke early this Saturday afternoon (4th) with Ministers Rui Costa and José Múcio about what we were able to find out about the situation of mining in real time and we proposed that the Federal Government evaluate a way of supporting the State in receiving and encouraging these workers [homens, mulheres e até crianças] who wish to leave spontaneously and peacefully, avoiding any kind of confrontation,” said the governor of Roraima, Antônio Denarium.

The Minister of Defense, José Múcio, told Denarium that he will visit the state between Wednesday (8) and Thursday (9), with a delegation that will work to accelerate the solution of the humanitarian crisis in the state.

“I spoke with Governor Denarium just now, I heard his proposal to help the workers who are leaving the mines spontaneously and I informed him that we will evaluate it very carefully, because the Lula government does not want any kind of confrontation, we will always seek dialogue as a first option”, stressed the minister of defense.

The government published, in the Official Gazette (DOU) last Thursday (2), details of Operation Shield in the Yanomami Indigenous Land, which deals with the monitoring of flights under suspicion of illicit practices. The text specifies which planes will be considered suspicious and may be intercepted.

*Under supervision of Daniel Rittner