e Paz)

Number 133, June 16, 1994.

LAND ISSUES

- New book launched on Brasiguaios.

On June 07, journalist Cacia Cortez launched her new book entitled "Brasiguaios". The title refers to the approximately 500 thousand Brazilians who were forced to migrate to Paraguay starting in the 1950s and who began to return to Brazil in an organized manner from the mid 1980s onward. The book is published by Brasil Agora.

The colonization of the border regions of Paraguay can be divided into two distinct historical period. The first ranges from the 1950s to 1969 and the second from 1970 to 1979. During the first migration period, the Brazilians traveled a short distance across the Paraguayian border where land was cheap and soil was rich. Between 1970 and 1979, Brazilian immigration significantly increased to Paraguay due especially to the modernization of Brazilian agriculture principally with the spread of soya in states such as Parana. During this period many small farmers were forced off their holdings due especially to the economic problems caused to such small holders with the spread of mechanized farming.

Even though mechanized agriculture in the southern states of Brazil was responsible for the greater part of the Brazilian migration to Paraguay, other factors were also present during the years. Already in the 1950s many small farmers without documentation (called "posseiros" in Brazil) occupying public land were forced out frequently by violent means by the large colonizing companies especially in the State of Parana. Later in the 1970s, the construction of the huge Itaipu hydro-electric dam dislocated 20 thousand inhabitants. In 1975, Brazilian President Ernesto Geisal and Paraguayan President Stroessner signed the Treaty of Economic Alliance and Cooperation (Tratado de Alianca e Cooperacao Economica). Amongst other items agreed to in this Treaty was the occupation of an area of 121889 square kilometers in Paraguay circling Itaipu by 1.120.000 people including Brazilians. This area represented 33% of the total area of Paraguay and already in 1975, 40 thousand Brazilians lived there. In the military strategy of the time, the large local population would ensure the security of the Itaipu project. By 1984 approximately 400 thousand Brazilians had crossed the Paraguayan border in search of land and better living conditions.

This dream never became a reality. There are many documented cases of maltreatment of Brazilians in Paraguay. Such cases include torture, large scale harassment by Paraguayan authorities which forced many to pay bribes,violence, low prices for the products produced and demands for personal and property documentation which not only was extremely expensive but practically impossible to attain. Such maltreatment was very obvious on the occasion of the registration of births - many crossed the border into Brazil to register the birth of children in Paraguay; many more due to the distance or the expense involved were forced to leave the children unregistered.

But what principally forced the Brasiguaios to consider returning to Brazil were the changing economic conditions in Paraguay. Between 1980 and 1984 the same process of modernization of agriculture which earlier had forced large numbers of Brazilians into Paraguay caught up with them once again. Large agro-industries introduced such methods into Paraguay. The Brasiguaios had already cleared the land and had invested in infrastructure such as roads. One such Brasiguaio describes what happened: "Opportunities only existed for those who could buy land, register it in Assuncion and continue investing in Paraguay. The poorer people were transformed into share-croppers and many families began to think about returning to Brazil." Around the same time the Brazilian government published its plan for agrarian reform which erroneously led many Brasiguaios to believe that land would readily be available in Brazil.

The return of the Brasiguaios took place in an organized manner. Meetings were held, leadership emerged and strategy was planned. All knew that Paraguayan as well as Brazilian bureaucracy would make the return difficult. Many were forced to leave behind belongings which could not be sold as well as to forego compensation for improvements made on the farms. In April 1984, 1000 families,including dozens of Brasiguaio families occupied the Santa Idalina ranch in the municipality of Ivinhema, State of Mato Grosso do Sul. Having been harassed during two weeks by police and hired gun-men they were expelled. However the occupation helped to reinforce the conviction amongst the Brasiguaios in Paraguay that such an occupation could be successful.

In June of 1985, 1000 Brasiguaian families from several different localities in Paraguay crossed the border into Brazil and camped in the town of Mundo Novo, State of Mato Grosso do Sul. The families were subjected to severe repression and the border crossing was closed to prevent the arrival of other families. The families remained in the campment during six months. During this period 27 people died because of the extreme living conditions in the campment. In January 1986 this group of families was settled on the Santa Idalina ranch from which in 1984 the first families were expelled. The settlement was renamed Novo Horizonte and became an independent municipality in 1992.

During the month of June 1986, 600 families from the Paloma region of Paraguay tried to return. Approximately 300 families managed to arrive in Mundo Novo, the remainder were violently repressed in Paraguay. The families who arrived in Mundo Novo were expelled and moved to Eldorado. Here they remained in an acampment for almost a year before they were settled in Gleba Marcos Friere in the municipality of Dois Irmao do Buriti. Around the same time a further 400 families succeeded in crossing the border at Sete Quedas where they camped. This group was finally settled when it occupied the Sao Jose do Jatoba ranch which had already been disappropriated for agrarian reform.

In March of 1987 Marcelo Miranda became Governor of the State of Mato Grosso do Sul. The attitude of the state government hardened towards the Brasiguaios. The Secretary for Land Affairs in the State at the time, Aparicio Rodriques de Almeida announced that "the Brasiguaios will have to eat other Brasiguaios with flour if they want to return". In the following years the Brasiguaios continued to quietly return but now in small groups and they joined the settled families in the occupations and acampments near the border.

With the fall of the Stroessner dictatorship in Paraguay in February 1989, the struggle for land grew in that country. Many large ranches were occupied. Brasiguaios were numerous amongst those involved in the occupations. The expulsions which followed were brutal and bloody in large part carried out by the Paraguayan army with the help of trained dogs. Many leaders were assassinated; persecution of such people became widespread. During the following year (1990) the economic crisis in Paraguay deepened and thousands of small farmers became bankrupt. Mechanized agriculture forced many share-croppers to leave the land. In the case of the Brazilian small farmers and share-croppers the only option was to return to Brazil. In the municipality of Tacuru, 400 families occupied the Ortigao ranch. This occupation represented the reorganization of the return of the Brasiguaios. During 1991 approximately 1000 share-cropper families were forced to leave the land in Paraguay and return to Brazil.

In May of 1992 a further 400 Brasiguaio families organized themselves to return to Brazil. On the Paraguay side repression of the families was severe and many did not manage to cross the border. In the campment on the Brazilian side, the Brasiguaios were surrounded by the police and attacked by hired gun-men. The government of the State of Mato Grosso do Sul refused to settle these families in the state; humanitarian aid was also refused to the approximately 600 children in the campment by the state government. Meanwhile, approximately 600 Brasiguaio families in Paraguay suffered repression from the police and the armed gun-men of the ranchers and did not succeed in crossing the border. This number continued to grow as ranches sent away more and more sharecroppers.

Copies of the book "Brasiguaios" by Cacia Cortez may be ordered from MST, Rua Ministro Godoy 1484, 05015-900 Sao Paulo, Brazil. Fax (011) 871-4612; E-mail semterra@ax.apc.org.

- Study shows concentration of land in Brazil.

Large ranches of over 1000 hectares make up less than 1% of the agricultural holdings and occupy 43.73% of the agricultural area of the country. On the other hand, holdings of 10 hectares or less make up 52.83% of the holdings and occupy 2.66% of the agricultural area of Brazil. These figures were revealed in a study carried out by geographer Dora Hessa of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) and published on June 07.

According to the study, 32 million poverty stricken people in the country are the result of this concentration of land which also provokes serious land conflicts. For example, in 1993 there were over 900 such conflicts in the Amazonian region alone. The poorest 10% of the population control only 0.8% of the income while the richest 10% of the population controls 48%. 12 million workers or 20% of the economically active earn up to a minimum salary (US $65) per month.

Another geographer from the IBGE, Antonia Maria Martins Ferreira, showed at a seminar on May 07 that migration in the Amazonian region is now by and large internal. Between 1970 and 1980 large numbers arrived in the Amazonian region from other parts of Brazil.

According to Antonia Maria, the Amazonian region which occupies 66% of the Brazilian territory is now presenting specific problems due to population increase. One such problem is the silting of rivers in the region. In the western region of the State of Maranhao for example, the unordered occupation of the land as well as deforestation are responsible for this problem. Approximately 12% of the Amazonian forest has been cleared and turned into pasture.

- Rural Landless Movement (MST) responsible for settlement of 135 thousand families.

According to a report in the Estado de Sao Paulo of May 05, the MST organized since it was founded almost 10 years ago, 1200 settlements in 20 states. Here 135 thousand families have been installed in areas totaling almost 6 million hectares. At the moment the MST has 50 acampments with 14 thousand families.

- Campaign against the National Movement for the Landless.

On June 2nd, the headlines of the "ESTADO DE SAO PAULO"

read, "Landless use guerrilla techniques". The newspaper than went on to report that "confidential reports" of the Secretariat of Strategic Affairs (SAE) reveal that the Movement of the Landless (MST) is training members in guerrilla techniques so as to guarantee control over occupied lands. The document states that the Movement is controlled by a few well organized people.

This document also states that the Movement of the Landless

have training centers throughout the country for the ideological- political formations of its members. These training sessions are conducted with the help of foreigners. The report mentions Germans, Chileans, Nicaraguans, Cubans and Soviets. The action plan of the Movement calls for the making of homemade weapons, according to the document.

Other accusations made by the SAE are that the Workers Party (PT) and the Sole Workers Central (CUT) are supporting the Movement and that the Movement is seen as the principle force throughout the country in promoting conflict in the rural areas.

Many questions have been raised as to why this report is

being published at this moment. A person in reading the headlines

of the "ESTADO" would, no doubt, have fear. Just the words

themselves, "guerrilla techniques", bring to mind -terrorism. Yet, in the document and the newspaper report, there is nothing specific. In the document, it is stated that these training centers have Germans, Chileans, Nicaraguans, Cubans and Soviets. Just mentioning these nationalities brings to mind a concept from the past, -communism. But in recent years, all these countries have changed. Germany is now unified, the Soviet Union has broken up, Nicaragua and Chile have had elections and new governments have taken over. Cuba is the only 'socialist' country left and it is isolated.

After reading the report in the "ESTADO DE SAO PAULO" one

wonders if he/she is reading a report prepared by the old secret

service of the military dictatorship (SNI). Some feel that the

"ESTADO" is trying to make a connection between the Workers Party

(PT) candidate, Luis Inacio "Lula" da Silva and the Movement of the Landless and the supposed violence that will take place in

rural areas, if Lula is elected president.

Two weeks after this headline in the "ESTADO", another Sao

Paulo newspaper, "FOLHA DE SAO PAULO" printed an article that the

Military Police of Sao Paulo have handed over to the SAE, a

document that accuses the Movement of the Landless of receiving

funds from foreign sources in order to finance land invasions and

to set up and marxist-leninist republic.

These accusations of the Military Police are similar to the

accusations made a number of years ago that the PT party was

receiving financial help from abroad for use in its campaign.

This year, CUT, was accused of receiving money from foreign

entities in order to further Lula's campaign for the presidency. Now the same charges are being leveled against the

Movement of the Landless (MST). This time the money is being used

to finance their land invasions. MST have never denied that it

receives financial help from entities in Holland and Germany. But

it is doubtful that the money the Movement has received is enough

to finance the land invasions that the Movement is accused of by

the SAE. There have been 122 invasions registered in the country

this year and 202 during the previous year.

The idea of setting up a marxist-leninist republic makes the

Military Police's report look ridiculous, especially, with the

break up of the Soviet Union and the break-up of the Eastern

European countries that were under the control of the Soviet

Union.

One wonders what is behind the SAE report and the headlines

of the newspapers,"Landless Movement uses guerrilla techniques". What are the hidden messages behind such headlines? Terrorism? Violence? Why is so much emphasis being placed on the land invasions supported by the Movement? It is interesting to note, that neither the SAE nor the Military Police of Sao Paulo have ever presented a document that gets to the roots of violence in the urban centers of the country. The evening news on Rede Globo for June 15, 1994 reported that 19 persons are assassinated or murdered each day in Sao Paulo. It would seem that the national organs for public safety, such as SAE, the Military Police, would be preparing documents as to why violence, assassinations, murders are increasing, especially in the urban centers of the country.

It would be of public interest to have a document from these entities placing the blame for the assassination of 111 prisoners in the Casa de Detencao in Sao Paulo on Oct.2, 1992, the massacres of Candalaria and Vigario Geral in Rio.

Footnote: The new bishop of the recently created diocese of

Aracatuba, Sao Paulo, Dom Jose Carlos Castanho de Almeida,

criticized the invasion of lands by the Movement of the Landless.

For Dom Jose Carlos, the participation of the Church in movements

should be limited to the exercise of virtue and charity,

concerned only for their food and medical necessities.

CHILDREN

-Infant mortality rate on the rise.

In a report that caught many by surprise, The Children's

Pastoral stated that there has been an increase of almost 15% in

the infant mortality rate for the 1st trimester of this year, in

comparison to the same period of last year.

In the northeast of Brazil, the increase is between 25-30%.

The study was done in 2068 municipalities. This represents 38% of

the total number of municipalities in the country. For the

Children's Pastoral, this data is alarming. It shows a reversal

in the falling rate of infant mortality and, also, the fact that

the study only took into consideration the children who were

being accompanied by the Children's Pastoral. These children have

been better accompanied by the Pastoral than the greater number

of children who have not.

The Pastoral foresees that the national infant mortality rate will jump from 28 deaths per thousand to 33 per thousand. In the Northeast, the Pastoral sees this rate jumping from 38 per thousand to 49 per thousand.

In examining why there is an increase in the infant

mortality rate at this time, the Pastoral came up with the

following reasons; 1) three consecutive years of drought in the

northeast, 2) the rise in cholera, 3) malnutrition provoked by

the increase in unemployment, 4) the crisis of health care in the

public health system.

Gilberto Dimenstein in his daily column in the "FOLHA DE SAO

PAULO", wrote, "Brazilian society is failing in its most

elementary task of guaranteeing the life of the weakest by not

using adequate means and technology in the area of health. This

is not only a failure on the part of the government but also of

all the elite."

On receiving this report from the Children's Pastoral,

President Itamar Franco issued a rather timid and 'pro forma'

request to the Ministry of Health asking for explanations.

COMMUNICATION

- TV media controlled by 8 family groups.

The Brazilian Code for Telecommunications says that no

person nor entity can have participation in more than 10 TV

stations, of which five, at the most, can be UHF stations.

The Marinho family, of Globo Network (Rede Globo), have

shares in 17 TV stations of which 15 are VHF. The family owns 10

stations and 8 of these are VHF and 2 UHF. The family are

partners in 4 VHF stations in the state of Parana, 2 in Sao Paulo

and 1 in Minas Gerais.

The Sirotsky family own 13 VHF stations and are stockholders

in another station in Espirito Santo. Other families that have

more than 5 VHF stations are the Saad Family (Rede Banderantes),

Abravanel family (Rede SBT) and the Camara Family. The latter own

stations in Goias and Tocantins.

The law fixes the limit of stations to entities or

stockholders, but these families maneuver around this by

registering the stations in the name of different companies or

different family members. For example, in the state of Sao Paulo,

Roberto Marinho owns TV Globo of Sao Paulo (channel 5) and in

Sorocaba, TV Alianca Paulista (channel 33). His son, Roberto

Irineu is a shareholder in TV Vale de Paraiba (channel 17) and TV

Bauru (channel 2). Another son, Jose Roberto is a shareholder in

TV Sao Jose do Rio Preto (channel 2) and TV Globo of Sao Paulo

(channel 5). A third son, Joao Robero, is a shareholder in the

Paulista Television Company, owner of channel 12 in Campinas and

channel 7 in Ribeirao Preto.

Roberto Marinho and his sons are, individually, within the

law. But, when seen as members of the same business group or

family, they, as a business group or family have almost two times

more than is permitted by law.

The only time that the law seems to have been enforced was

in the late 1960s when Ulisses Ferreira Jr., a Sao Paulo

businessman was obliged to sell some 20 radio stations that he

owned. Now, when a person owns many radio stations, the station

is registered in the name of different family members.

The amount of money generated by TV ads this past year was

close to $1.3 billion dollars and generated by radio stations was

in the neighborhood of $100 million dollars.

INTERNATIONAL

- Organization of the American States: condemns violence against

women and looks at hemispheric poverty.

Two important events that came out of the recent meeting of

the Organization of the American States (OAS), held in Belem,

Brazil in early June were a resolution that condemns violence

against women and a look at hemispheric poverty. This first

document saw violence against women as any act or conduct that

causes death, harm or physical,sexual, psychological suffering to

a woman, whether in public or in private. All women have a right

to a life free from violence; to a recognition and an exercise of

all the human rights and liberties authorized in all regional and

international agencies relative to human rights and enabling the

free and full exercise of their civil, political, economic,

social and cultural rights.

Regarding the obligations of the State, the resolution

manifests that the State refrain from any act or practice of

violence against women, and to act with zeal in preventing,

investigating and punishing violence against women; that it

incorporate in its penal,civil and administrative laws internal

norms to prevent, punish and eradicate violence against women.

Brazil, along with the representatives of the United States,

Mexico, Jamaica and Canada were opposed to presenting this

resolution at the assembly. These countries preferred that it be re-examined and presented at the World Conference of the United Nations on Women this coming year. But the President of the International Commission for Women, Zelmira Regazzoli, was insistent and was able to get this matter on the agenda of OAS meeting.

- OAS looks at hemispheric poverty.

The second was a speech given at this assembly by Clement

Rohee of Guiana, raising certain fundamental questions regarding

poverty that is rampant in the countries of Latin America. Rohee

affirmed that the question of poverty is intrinsically connected

with the program of economic development in the region. Poverty

is an unstabilizing factor in the democratic process. He did not

see in a positive light the prognosis for the economic future in

the region. Between 1985 and 1995 misery will have increased,

there will be a 50% increase in unemployment and the external

debt will increase from $368 billion dollars to $672 billion

dollars.

Rohee gave as an example of what could happen in the region,

what is happening in his own country -Guiana- at this time. 80%

of what is taken in, went to pay the external debt. 60% of the

income from exports were spent to service the debt and for oil

imports. With this reality, Rohee says that it is impossible to

have a healthy development. He saw this not only as a problem for

Guiana, but also, as a problem for the rest of the continent.

Especially for those developing countries where unemployment is

on the increase and the gap between the rich and the poor is

growing.

- Brazil signs an accord against the Death Penalty.

Brazil became the seventh country to sign the document,the

American Agreement of Human Rights for the abolition of the death

penalty. The Brazilian foreign minister, Celso Amorim, said "With

this act, Brazil is reaffirming its pledge with the international

law through its increasing participation in international

judicial agencies that safeguard the peaceful interaction between

States, the respect for human rights and the strengthening of

democracy. According to the Foreign Minister, Brazil has a old

tradition in safeguarding this fundamental right which had its

origin in a decision of Emperor, Dom Pedro II, in the last

century.

The signing of this document took place at the 24th General

Assembly of the Organization of American States. This decision on

the part of the Foreign Minister will have to be ratified by the

National Congress of Brazil.

ECOLOGY

- Mega-project serious threat to environment.

We reproduce below a report taken from the rainfor.worldb conference dealing with a mega-project of road construction and soyabean production in the cerrado (savannah) region of Brazil. The project which expects to use World Bank funds is likely to cause widespread environmental damage.

Subject: road construction without environmental assessment

Urgent Action Alert: World Bank Highway Project Brazil and Soybean Expansion

In March, the World Bank has approved a loan for road improvement, paving and rehabilitation in the North Brazilian savannahs, which will probably contribute massively to the expansion of soybean production, causing land conflicts with traditional slash-and-burn farmers, polluting drinking water and destroying up to one million hectares of savannahs. According to our information, regional NGOs are against the project. The project has been classified by the World Bank in the environmental category B. This means, no comprehensive environmental impact assessment with local participation has been carried out. Road projects for new land development of this dimension, however, usually require an environmental impact assessment. Therefore, our hope is to stop disbursements and have an EIA carried out. (See appendix for details) First disbursements seem to be scheduled for late June or early July this year. Therefore, urgent action is necessary.

Urgewald has written to the German Government and Parliament and has demanded a comprehensive environmental impact assessment before any disbursements will be made. We recommend you to take similar steps. The weakest points in the project is the missing environmental impact assessment and the obvious lack of local participation. Furthermore, it is problematic that first disbursement of funds are scheduled for the time before the elections in Brazil this October/November.

Yours sincerely

Helmut Hagemann

Urgewald Brazil Desk

*****************************

Appendix

Ref.: Brazil's never ending soybean drama - World Bank Highway

Project for the Brazilian states of MaranhAo, Tocantins, Piaui

1. World Bank Board Decision Coming Closer:

In March 1994, the World Bank has approved a highway project in the states of Maranhao, Tocantins and Piaui, Brazil. US$ 603 million are to be spent on road building in present and future soybean production areas in these states in the transition area from the Brazilian Northeast to the Amazon area. Brazil has applied for a US$ 220 million loan from the World Bank. In view of Brazil's extreme budget difficulties, the Bank loan is a very important contribution for the implementation of the highway project.

2. Soybean production versus traditional populations

Presently, big farmers, state governments and the Carajas mining company Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (CVRD), which runs the Carajas railway and port system, are interested in expanding agricultural production in the Carajas export corridor.

From the early 1990ies onwards, soybean production in South Maranhao has been increased drastically. While 4,600 hectares were cultivated for soybean in 1991, the area increased to 43,000 hectares in 1993. According to the CVRD projections, this area could already be expanded to 100,00 ha in 1994 and 200,000 ha in 1995. The economically lucrative potential for soybean production is conservatively estimated at 1,000,000 ha. (CVRD, Diagnostico do Corredor de Exportacao Norte, n.d.) The production of this area would be equivalent to one tenth of Brazil's total soybean production.

After the expansion of soybeans and cash crops in Brazil's Middle West, now large tracts of Brazil's last remaining "cerrados" (savannahs), are thus threatened with destruction. Up to the present, a great part of the rural population of the "cerrados" of South Maranhao and neighbouring areas lives on traditional slash-and-burn agriculture with a low ecological impact. As a consequence of soybean expansion, first land conflicts are said to have occurred in the region. Where land is already under soybean cultivation, large amounts of pesticides are being used - polluting the rivers and drinking water of the region.

Gradually, protest is arising from the affected populations. NGOs working in the concerned regions fiercely reject the expansion of soybean production.

3. Private interests in road infrastructure

"Roads represent one of the most important preconditions" for soybean production while "the state of roads has been precarious" for the transport in recent harvesting seasons - this observation has been made by the CVRD in a study on the Carajas export corridor. CVRD is actually a major actor in the soybean expansion. As operator of the Carajas railway system, CVRD has the "basic goal" of "generating commercial freight volume", as the company states in its study stico do Corredor de Exportacao Norte" (Diagnosis of the Export Corridor North). Soybeans from the expansion areas can provide this volume as they will be transported on roads and rail.

4. World Bank paving the way for soybeans

"Infrastructure, particularly roads" in Maranhao and neighbouring states, are according to the World Bank "among the least-developed" in Brazil. But development prospects are found to be "very encouraging": "The conjunction of a number of factors, including new soybean varieties and investments for grain exports recently made in the Carajas corridor, are turning the sub-regions grain production very competitive in the international markets. The poor standards and conditions of the roads in the production areas and in the corridors leading to the railway or consumer centers, however, remain an important deterrent to more intensive private investment in agriculture", says the World Bank. The World Bank Staff Appraisal Report estimates a development potential of 5,000,000 ha. (World Bank 1994, p. 10)

The World Bank road project would comprise rehabilitation and resurfacing of about 1,550 km, periodic and routine maintenance of about 18,500 km, and upgrading and paving of about 2,650 km of roads.

During the first project year (beginning 1994), the most questionable part of the project is to be carried out: a road section of 300 km right into the center of the savannahs of South Maranhao and Piaui is to be upgraded. This work will open easy access to the region for heavy trucks. This road corridor from Balsas, Maranhao, to Gilbues, Piaui, will connect a little developed area to the Carajas export corridor. The agricultural potential for soya and grains in the Municipalities affected is estimated at over 530.000 ha.

5. No adequate environmental impact assessment

As regards the environmental aspects, the World Bank Public Information Center stated that "the project is in the environmental category B as it will not have significant impacts". (The World Bank 1993) Category A projects are such projects that "are likely to have significant adverse impacts that may be sensitive, irreversible, and diverse .... and affect the area as a whole", for example "new land development" or other large-scale projects (World Bank OD 4.01 Annex E 1991). In contrast, Category B projects have "impacts that are less significant than Category A impacts. Few if any of these impacts are irreversible (and) .... remedial measures can be more easily designed"; these projects include, for example, small-scale agro-industries or small-scale up-grading projects. In our view, there is no doubt, that category A had to be assigned to the Brazil highway project, which has not happened. Therefore, a reclassification of the project is urgently needed and a comprehensive environmental impact assessment with local participation has to be carried out before any disbursements be made.

5. Recent developments

On May 6, World Bank staff met with Maranhao's state governor Fiquene to talk about the highway project, as the local newspaper "Estado de Maranhao" reported. According to the paper, the state governor received the"green light" to start the project. First World Bank loans were said to be expected for "the end of June or early July" 1994. The paper further reported that the governor, although he expected budget difficulties in fulfilling the commitments of the state, would be determined to fulfil the agreement entirely.

This notice shows that the project is also in danger of being used in the upcoming election campaign at federal and state levels (elections in October and November this year). In view of the possible change of government, loan disbursements before the elections do not seem advisable, as there have repeatedly been accusations that administrations tend to misuse or privatize public funds at the end of their terms.

- Recent ecology news.

The following is a summary of the news items carried by the principal Brazilian newspapers during the last week dealing with ecology. The date is given for each summary and the newspapers are identified as follows:

FSP = Folha de Sao Paulo.

GL = O Globo.

GM = Gazeta Mercantil.

JB = Jornal do Brasil.

OESP = O Estado de Sao Paulo.

June 07, 1994.

- Almost 300 thousand people in the city of Forteleza, State of Ceara including the state governor Ciro Gomes, have dengue. Health authorities admit that the number is possibly higher because all cases may not have been registered. (GL).

- Of the 39915 cases of cholera already registered in Brazil during 1994, the great majority are in the north-east of the country where only 30% of the urban areas have water and sewerage systems. 97 deaths have been registered - the majority are of children under 10 years. (GL).

June 08.

- Seven years after the accident with Cesio 137 in Goiania, State of Goias, the victims continue to suffer discrimination. The population of the city of Silvania where the most recent victim of the accident, Carmelita Freire, was buried at the end of May, want her body exhumed. An inquiry regarding the accident has been re-opened and the former governor has been called to give witness. 50 people affected by the accident have also been authorized to travel to Cuba for treatment. (JB).

- Even though approved by the relevant environmental bodies of the States of Alagoas, Bahia and Sergipe, the hydro-electrical dam of Xingo will cause serious environmental problems according to local environmental groups. Such groups claim that the studies of environmental impact made by the Sao Francisco Hydro-Electrical Company and presented to the state bodies are superficial, incomplete and were concluded in a rushed manner. (OESP).

- The National Program of Biodiversity to be inaugurated in Rio de Janeiro on June 17 by the Minister of the Environment has as its principle objective a more detailed study of the living organisms present in Brazil as well as their sustainable use. Such organisms represent 15% of the world total. The Brazilian government has reserved US $48 million for this project.

June 09.

- The Attorney General stated that the construction of the Angra 11 nuclear station could be finished without the approval of Congress because it was planned before the new Constitution came into force. (JB).

Meanwhile, the National Commission for Nuclear Energy should finish the study within the next two weeks of the reports sent by FURNAS (the company who administers electrical energy). FURNAS requested authorization for the functioning of Angra 11. An item which could provoke a delay in the granting of the authorization is the lack of an emergency plan which will take almost another three months to draw up. (GM).

- Two Cuban specialists will arrive in early July to select 50 victims of the Cesio 137 accident who will receive treatment in Havana. (GL).

- The Hydro-Electric Company of the River Sao Francisco will block the flow of the river during ten hours in order to speed up the filling of the Xingo dam. (GL).

June 10.

- The decision of President Itamar Franco to begin the irrigation project using the waters of the River Sao Francisco is provoking differences of opinion in government circles. Apart from its excessively high costs, many see the project as set up to help the government candidate, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, in the presidential election campaign. (OESP).

- The Catholic Church's Children's Pastoral carried out a survey of infant mortality in 49% of all Brazilian municipalities and discovered that the mortality rate had increased by 28.9% in the north-east in recent years.

June 11.

- Military police who have been guarding the ware-house where the material contaminated by the Cesio 137 is kept have had health problems according to the medical service of the military police in the State of Goias. (FSP).

- The National Steel Company (CSN) obtained from the State Council for Environmental Control in Rio de Janeiro a dispensation for the presentation of an environmental impact report for a termo-electrical station and an oxygen factory which it plants to build in Volta Redonda. (GL).

June 13.

- Marked by denouncements of over-spending and of the consequent profits gained by the family of the wife of impeached President Collor, the hydro-electrical station of Xingo will start functioning with one of its six turbines in October. According to the local organization of families affected by the dam, 5000 people were directly affected by the flood waters of the dam and the Catholic priest in the town of Delmiro Gouveia, 40 kms distant from the project, recently stated that "the 'new indians' who are being exterminated are the poor". (OESP).

- The Sao Francisco irrigation project recently announced by President Itamar Franco could remain on paper only since no funds are available for the project. (GM).

INDIGENOUS ISSUES

- Kaingang indians reoccupy an indigenous area.

Two hundred Kaingang indians in the State of Rio Grande do Sul are reoccupying the Ventarra Indigenous Area which was divided into lots in an agrarian reform program benefiting the indians in 1962. The program took place when Leonel Brizola was governor of the state. At the moment, some indian families are living in the church situated within the area and others are camped on nearby road-sides. According to a local newspaper, the farmers in the area are arming themselves so as to remain in the area. The area in question is situated in the municipalities of Erebango and Getulio Vargas.

The indigenous area was demarcated in 1911. In the 1962 project each Kaingang family received 20 hectares. However, in 1963 all the indians from the area were put on a truck and taken to other areas. In 1967 the Legislative Assembly of the State of Rio Grande do Sul investigated the case and concluded that the state should return the land to the indians since they had been robbed of it.

At the moment there are 14 small farmers living in the former indigenous area. There are also other families who do not live there but have land in the area; the documentation for the land was given by the government of the State of Rio Grande do Sul. None of these families are willing to discuss the rights of the Kaingang to the area. The farmers presently occupying the area are collecting signatures requesting the removal of the indians from the church; the signatures are also directed against Bishop Jeronimo Zanadrea of the local diocese of Erexim whom they accuse as being the "intellectual mentor" of the return of the indians.

The Guarani Kaiowa who returned to the Takuaryty / Ivykaurusu Indigenous area in Mato Grosso do Sul (see NEWS FROM BRAZIL, Number 129, May 19, 1994) are not any longer in risk of expulsion. The 60 small farmers who had been in the area are now removing their goods including their crops. The indians are expected to return to the area in mid June.

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