Illegal miners are being removed from Roraima, says Lula

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said, this Tuesday (7th), via Twitter, that the government will not allow mining on indigenous lands. In the message, Lula informed that a process of removal of illegal miners is being carried out in Roraima. “We will not allow illegal mining on indigenous lands. We are in the process of removing illegal miners from Roraima. The situation that the Yanomami find themselves near the garimpo is degrading. We also need to find out who is responsible for what happened.” We will not allow illegal mining on indigenous lands. We are in the process of removing illegal miners from Roraima. The situation that the Yanomami find themselves near the garimpo is degrading. We also need to find out who is responsible for what happened. — Lula (@LulaOficial) February 7, 2023 In the post, the president pointed out that there are 840 clandestine airstrips, of which 75 are close to Yanomami lands. “It is impossible not to see this. Whoever allowed this must be held accountable,” said Lula. According to the President of the Republic, control of indigenous lands will be restructured with the participation of mayors and governors. “We are going to try to create a new dynamic, to have the results that Brazilian society wants”, he said. Destructive presence In a press conference this Monday (6th), the Minister of Indigenous Peoples, Sonia Guajajara, described the presence of illegal mining in the Yanomami Indigenous Land as destructive. “What is being reported is still far from showing the reality there, with such a strong presence of prospectors, with great destruction in the territory. There is a lot of mining, endless mining, the territory is all taken over by prospectors, by destruction, by contamination in the water. The Yanomami cannot drink water, they don’t have clean water to drink,” he said.

Agência Brasil