This is the last article you can read this month
You can read more article this month
You can read more articles this month
Sorry your limit is up for this month
Reset on:
Please help support the Morning Star by subscribing here
BRAZIL has declared the Yanomami indigenous territory “free of illegal mining” following a major military campaign to drive out gold miners.
President Luiz Inacio “Lula” da Silva announced the victory on Monday, marking the success of the first high-profile campaign to protect indigenous territories since he replaced his far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro, who had attacked indigenous rights and vowed to “develop” the Amazon.
One of Lula’s first acts in office was to announce a health emergency in the indigenous territory, roughly the size of Scotland, which is part of the Amazon rainforest. Illegal mining had poisoned waterways and spread disease, resulting in a spike in deaths of Yanomami infants from malnutrition, pneumonia and diarrhoea, the government said.
The emergency declaration was followed up by deployment of the army, police and paramedics in an operation to treat disease and expel an estimated 20,000 illegal miners. Security forces destroyed camps, boats and aircraft belonging to the invaders.
