Cimi asks for recomposition of commission following Yanomami crisis

The Indigenous Missionary Council (CIMI) formally requested today (23) the recomposition of the Temporary External Commission that monitors the crisis in the Yanomami Indigenous Territory (TI). According to the organization, three senators who make up the commission are from Roraima and “have explicit involvement in the defense of mining” within Yanomami land. The commission was created by the Federal Senate on the 15th, composed of senators Chico Rodrigues (PSB-RR), chairman of the commission; Eliziane Gama (PSD-MA), vice-president; Hiran Gonçalves (PP-RR), rapporteur; Humberto Costa (PT-PE); and Mecias de Jesus (Republicanos-RR). “The majority formed by the three senators from Roraima delegitimizes and distorts the mission of the External Commission due to their explicit involvement in the defense of mining within the Yanomami TI, a criminal activity whose consequences and impacts were evident for all of Brazilian society.” Also according to the note, Cimi joins the manifestations of indigenous organizations and repudiates the presence of parliamentarians in the external commission, considering it “a mockery and disrespect for indigenous peoples”. “We request that the necessary measures be taken to recompose the commission or even to renew or reconsider the initiative itself to prevent an important mechanism from being instrumentalized in the service of interests contrary to its own mission, which would contribute to discrediting these steps .” For Cimi, the maintenance of the Temporary External Commission with the current composition “stains the image of the Senate and the National Congress and puts them against the grain of the necessary collective effort of all democratic institutions to deal with the very serious situation in the Yanomami TI and recover public policies fundamentals destroyed during the previous government”. “We continue to monitor the emergency measures adopted by the federal government in the Yanomami TI and we await their effectiveness in disintruding the mining, in monitoring and preventing the movement of groups of prospectors towards other indigenous territories and in the investigation of crimes committed against the Yanomami and Ye peoples. ‘kuana.” Positionings By means of a note, Senator Humberto Costa informed that he will ask the President of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco, to increase the number of members of the commission to give it “more representation”. “The issue of the Yanomami is not just a problem for the state of Roraima. It is a national issue, which involves human rights, the dignity of indigenous peoples, dealing with economic activities throughout the region, such as mining, fighting crime organized in that area and possible slave labor, as well as environmental issues. So, we want a more representative collegiate and a commission with a work plan defined and approved by all its members so that we can act collectively, as is the guiding spirit of any activity within a parliamentary house.” Agência Brasil contacted the advisors of senators Chico Rodrigues and Hiran Gonçalves, in addition to senator Rodrigo Pacheco, and is awaiting a position to include in this report.

Agência Brasil