e Paz)

Number 142, August 18, 1994.

SOCIAL ISSUES

- According to study, 32 million live in extreme poverty in Brazil.

According to a study published on August 11 by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), 32 million Brazilians live in conditions of extreme poverty. The study was financed by UNICEF and is based on 1991 figures.

The study shows that in 1980 Brazil had a population of just under 54 million children and adolescents. In 1991 the population of this group reached 59.93 million which represents an increase of 11%. A large percentage of this group lives in families who earn less than 2 minimum salaries (approximately US $145 per month). In the study this income is taken as the poverty line. The town with the greatest concentration of poor children and adolescents is Santana dos Garrotes in the State of Paraiba where 98.4% of the children are classified as poor (i.e. the family income is less than two minimum salaries). Of the ten largest cities in the country, Forteleza, State of Ceara, is the city which has the greatest concentration of children under 6 years in this category - 64%. The next city with a high percentage of under 6 year olds living in poverty is Nova Iguacu in the greater Rio de Janeiro region. Here 58.4% of the under 6 year olds lives in poverty. Amongst the large cities, Sao Paulo is listed as having the smallest percentage of poverty in families with children under 6 years of age - 20.9%.

In all of the 5000 municipalities which existed in Brazil in 1991, 4079 of them had half the families earning up to two minimum salaries. In fact there were some cities such as Sao Joao dos Tigres, Icatu, Nina and Cajapio (all in the State of Maranhao) and Graca (Ceara) where less than 2% of the families earned more than two minimum salaries per month. Between 1980 and 1991 the Brazilian population increased by 1.95% while the population under 6 years of age increased by 0.35%.

One positive statistic of the study was the drop in the illiteracy rate amongst children and adolescents. In 1980, 20% of children and youth in the 11 to 14 age group were illiterate. In 1991 the number was 16%. In six municipalities there is a zero rate of illiteracy amongst youth of this age range - five of the municipalities are in the State of Rio Grande do Sul and one in Sao Paulo. At the other extreme are two municipalities in the State of Amazonas - Pauini has an illiteracy rate of 85.1% for youth in the 11 to 14 age group and in Itamarati it is 79.5%. In Pauini 84.7% of the heads of households spent less than one year in school and illiteracy amongst youth is greater in general in municipalities where parents had spent at most a year in school. Amongst the large cities Forteleza has the greatest illiteracy rate in the 11 to 14 age group - 13%. Recife (State of Pernambuco) is next on the scale with 12.7%. Of the largest cities the lowest youth illiteracy rate was found in Curitiba, State of Parana.

Data on running water and sewerage is also available in the study. There are some towns such as Quixaba, State of Paraiba, where no house has such facilities. Amongst the large cities, Forteleza once again tops the list. Here 87.2% of children under 6 years of age live in houses without such facilities. Amongst the large cities, Rio de Janeiro presents the best sanitary conditions - here 14.1% of under-six year olds live in houses without running water and sewerage.

- Police association launches food donation campaign to supplement salaries.

The Association of Sub-lieutenants and Sergeants of the Military Police of Sao Paulo launched a food donation campaign last week for the families of police. According to a spokesperson of the Association, sub-lieutenant Sergio Gomes, this was the only solution available to ensure that the families of military police do not go hungry.

The starting monthly salary for the military police is approximately US $123. According to police sergeant Eli Souza Alvin when he entered the police force in 1984 his pay was four and a half minimum salaries per month. Today he is earning two minimum salaries (approximately US $145). "Who would be interested in a career today in the military police if the starting salary is less that a street-cleaner?" asks Alvin. A street cleaner in Sao Paulo earns approximately US $200 per month, a security guard US $240 and a bus-driver US $490.

Data supplied by the military police shows that less people are interested in joining the force. In 1991, 104.421 applications to join the force were received. In 1993 applications had dropped to 49.715; between January and June of this year approximately 26 thousand applications were received.

INDIGENOUS ISSUES

- Malaria kills six children of the Marubo group.

An outbreak of malaria was responsible for the deaths of five children of the Marubo group in the Javari Valley Indigenous Area, State of Amazonia in recent weeks. The children lived in the Curuca indigenous village where 70% of the population already were affected by this disease during the last year. Another child died from hepatitis and an undiagnosed disease was responsible for the death of yet another child in recent weeks. The principal cause for the malaria outbreak is the cutting down of the forest; loggers have been very active recently in the region. An estimated 500 people have invaded the area to cut and remove the timber.

The Indigenous Missionary Council (CIMI) calculated that approximately 20 thousand trees are been removed from the area per year; 90% of the timber taken from this Amazonian region comes from the indigenous area. Towards the end of July the army confiscated 10 thousand cedar trees which were removed from the Javari indigenous area; when confiscated they were in the process of being smuggled to Peru which borders the indigenous area.

Another indigenous group from the same region which was only recently contacted - the Matis, were also affected by a malaria outbreak. A recent blood examination of 12 Matis showed that all of them had contacted malaria. The Matis population is very small - approximately 300 people. It is feared that the malaria outbreak could kill a large number of this group. Access to the Matis area is now only possible by helicopter because with the dry season the level of the rivers has dropped and boats and medical personnel cannot now use the river to arrive in their villages.

The measures being taken by the government to eliminate malaria from these indigenous areas have been inadequate. In areas where malaria has been registered, government functionaries have used spray against the malaria bearing mosquitoes. The most effective means to prevent or eliminate the disease would be to stop the invasion of loggers in the area; no measures have been taken to hinder this invasion.

- Father-in-law of federal deputy accused of offering bribes freed.

In last week's NEWS FROM BRAZIL we carried the story of the father-in-law of federal deputy Jose Augusto Curvo who was arrested two weeks ago for having offered a substantial bribe to a functionary of the National Indian Foundation (FUNAI) to release impounded timber on an indigenous reserve in the State of Mato Grosso. Within recent days the accused, Gerard Trechaud, has been released. Recent evidence suggests that the bribe offered by was much larger than at first reported - it is believed to have been US $300 thousand.

LAND ISSUES

- Former President Collor accused of practicing slavery.

Former President Collor who was impeached by Congress was accused on August 10 for the practice of slavery on the Estrela de Maceio ranch in the municipality of Santana do Araguaia, State of Para, according to a report in the "Jornal do Brasil" on August 11. Collor and his former campaign financial manager, Paulo Ceser Farias, who also is part owner of the ranch were denounced by the president of the Rural Workers Trade Union of Santana do Araguaia, Antonio Ferreira, and state deputy Newton Miranda. Farias has been in jail for several months now on accusations of having used illegal means to finance the Collor election campaign.

Collor and Farias are accused of not having paid 130 workers on the two thousand hectare ranch. The workers were recruited in various municipalities in the State of Maranhao and spent 60 days clearing forest on the ranch without pay. They are now lodged in the trade union headquarters. According to the trade union president there are many minors amongst the workers. The workers denounced that they had to walk 210 kms to the town to claim their pay. According to some reports the money remained with the middle-man who contracted the workers on behalf of the owners.

ECOLOGY

- Environmental groups fear that IBAMA will try to remove mahogany from controlled species list.

Environment groups denounced this week that IBAMA (the federal government environmental agency) plans to attempt to impede the inclusion of mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) from the international list of species whose sale is controlled by the Convention for the Regulation for International Commerce of Wild Threatened Fauna and Flora (CITES)

IBAMA's proposal is expected to be examined in the next CITES meeting which will take place in the U.S. next November and environmental groups accuse IBAMA of giving in to the powerful lobbies in the logging area. According to such groups, if mahogany is kept on the list, many of the remaining areas where this timber grows will be preserved. The indigenous communities have also been prey to the loggers who have removed large quantities of this timber from the indian reserves. Groups interested in the environmental question in Brazil request similar groups all over the world to be aware of IBAMA's proposal and request that they lobby to have Brazilian mahogany maintained on the CITES list.

- Recent ecology news.

The following is a summary of the news items carried by the principal Brazilian newspapers during recent days 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.

August 09, 1994.

- The Brazilian delegation to the Cairo Conference dealing with population growth is expected to defend abortion in specific cases such as rape and when the mother's life is at risk. (JB).

- The National Indian Foundation (FUNAI) has admitted that the "Free Forest Operation" ("Operacao Selva Livre) has failed and that it is extremely difficult to remove the gold-prospectors from the Yanomami area. (OESP).

- The new U.S. ambassador, Melvyn Levitsky, stated in a speech to representatives of American companies in Rio de Janeiro that he will do everything in his power to have the new law dealing with intellectual property (patents) approved in the Brazilian Senate. He believes however that it will not be possible to have it approved in the few remaining months before the elections. (GM).

- Recent information published by environmentalists shows that the Cesio 137 nuclear accident which happened in Goiania seven years ago has been responsible for the deaths provoked by cancer of 80 people. (GL).

August 10.

- The government is preparing a decree whereby individuals and private groups many be involved in the production of electrical energy. (GM).

- Figures released by the relevant state body (CETESB) have shown that the quality of the water in the River Tiete, which flows through the city of Sao Paulo, has worsened during the government of Governor Fleury. A governmental publicity campaign had promised to reduce the pollution of the river by 50% by the end of 1994. The clean-up program of the river will continue until the year 2005 and will cost US $2.6 billion. (FSP).

- 18 gold-prospectors are candidates for federal and state deputies in the Amazonian region. They belong to various parties and their chief election promise is to defend the rights of gold-prospectors in the region. (JB).

August 11.

- The doctor's trade union in Rio de Janeiro denounced that only two thirds of the children vaccinated during the national vaccination campaign last week against meningitis were given tested and proven vaccine imported from Cuba. The remainder were vaccinated with another product which is not effective; it was used on these children as a test. (JB).

- State deputies from two parties - PT and PSDB are going to demand information from the government of the State of Sao Paulo about the clean-up of the River Tiete after CETESB studies have shown that the water quality in the river is the worst recorded in the last four years. (FSP).

- The Minister for the Environment and the Amazon, Henrique Brandao Cavalcanti, announced that President Itamar Franco plans to launch the National Program of Environmental Education in September. The elaboration of the program took four years and the government hopes that it will make a beneficial impact on students. (OESP).

- Approximately 250 indians occupied the Toldo Pinhais ranch in the interior of the State of Santa Catarina and plan to maintain the occupation until the federal government turns the ranch into an area of forest reserve. (FSP).

August 12.

- Disobeying a court order, the Minister for Regional Integration, Aloizio Alves, decided to start the mega irrigation project on the Sao Francisco river on August 21. 14 well known entities in the north-east of Brazil published an open letter to President Itamar Franco calling for "ample and definitive" studies on the project before it starts. (JB).

- The World Bank is putting pressure on the government of the State of Rondonia not to disappropriate 66 thousand hectares to settle landless rural families. The selection of this area disrespects an ecological zonement defended in the Cattle and Forestry Plan of Rondonia (Planofloro) which is financed by the World Bank. A commission from the Bank has visited Rondonia to study the situation after the Rondonia Forum of NGOs denounced the plans of the government (See NEWS FROM BRAZIL, July 07, 1994 for detailed background information on this question). (FSP).

- The average speed of vehicles has fallen in Sao Paulo city due to congested traffic conditions. This reduction in speed has significantly increased the air pollution in the city. Studies suggest that vehicles are responsible for 90% of the air pollution in the city. (GM).

VIOLENCE

- Parque Sao Lucas - Police chief found innocent.

On Feb. 5, 1989, at the 42nd Police District in Parque Sao

Lucas, SP., 50 prisoners were placed in a small cell without any

ventilation as punishment for an attempted escape on that day. 18

prisoners died from asphyxiation. Three members of this Police

District were brought to trial separately. Investigator Celso

Jose da Cruz and jailer Jose Ribeiro were found guilty and

sentenced some months ago. da Cruz was given a sentence of 516 years in prison. This is the severest sentence ever given in

Brazilian judicial history.

District Police Deputy, Carlos Eduardo Vasconcelos was found

innocent in a trial that ended this week. In his defence,

Vasconcelos said that he was lied to by da Cruz who informed him

that the rebellion in the jail had been brought under control.

Vasconcelos was on his day off from work. He also stated that the

police clerk, Celso Marques, mistakenly attributed to Vasconcelos

the statement "bandits should die".

The jury absolved Vasconcelos, 4 votes to 2, of any guilt in

the massacre of the 18 prisoners. The prosecutor had asked for a

sentence of 516 years in jail, the same sentence that was given

to the police investigator. The prosecutor, Antonio Carlos da

Ponte will appeal this decision and will ask for a new trial.

CHILDREN

- UNICEF: The Progress of Nations

Recently, UNICEF,in a document entitled, THE PROGRESS OF

NATIONS, presented the reality of 116 countries in the areas of

infant health, nutrition, education, family planning, the rights

of children and the development of women.

Brazil is shown as one of the main centers of child sex

tourism and also high in sexual abuse of children. UNICEF

estimates that, in Brazil, there are 500 thousand child

prostitutes.

The report also shows a dramatic picture of Brazil in the

areas of health and education. Each year 250 thousand children

lose their sight because of a lack of vitamin A. 42% of Brazilian

women who are pregnant, lose their child during pregnancy or

soon after birth due to anemia. Another 50 million children have

growth problems due to a lack of iodine in their diet.

UNICEF cites Brazil as a country that is doing something

about dehydration, but the picture is still critical as some 3

million children die each year due to diarrhea.

Measles had been controlled due to an intensive vaccination

program. But one area that has caused concern for those in the

health field is the decrease in the number of children being

vaccinated. In 1990, 91% of the children were vaccinated and only

62% were vaccinated in 1992.

In the area of education, UNICEF expressed concern regarding

Brazil. The Gross National Product of Brazil was $2770 per capita

and according to the UN, a country with this GNP should have 88%

of their children completing the 4th grade. Yet, in Brazil only

39% of the children complete the 4th grade. Countries poorer than

Brazil, such as, Peru, Bolivia, China, the Philippines and Viet

Nam have a higher percentage of their children finishing the 4th

grade.

Of the 111 nations that promised to obey the International

Convention of the Rights of Children, only 35 nations have given

in their reports on the actions taken to better the quality of

life for children. UNICEF cites Brazil along with 45 other

nations who are a year late in presenting their reports.

UNICEF's releasing the figure of 500 thousand child

prostitutes in Brazil has raised questions about the exactness of the statistics given. In the original document, THE PROGRESS OF NATIONS, released this past June, there was no statement as to the origins of the figures that were used. In the Portuguese edition of the document, the Brazilian government is cited as the source, but no entities nor organizations were mentioned. The number given by UNICEF coincides with the numbers given by the Congressional Investigation Panel (CPI) on Child Prostitution.

WOMEN'S ISSUES

- Women reject USAID funds

The Information Center of Women, based in Sao Paulo produced

a document giving a short history of the evaluation process for

the Decade of Women to be held in Peking in 1995. In April, 1993,

22 countries of the Organization for Cooperation and Economic

Development met in Paris and divided the world into areas of

influence and distributed finances accordingly. The US Agency

for International Development (USAID) assumed responsibility for

channeling funds and information to women's groups in preparation

for the Peking Conference in 1995.

Latin American women's groups are challenging USAID on the

guidelines that it is imposing in order to receive funds to participate in the Peking Conference. Brazilian NGOs representing women's groups were given a short period of time to choose one NGO to represent them to USAID. Many NGOs received no information at all.

Some specific concerns that Brazilian women's group have,

are: a) USAID wants to impose organizational structures on

women's groups that already have democratic structures that would

ensure a complete and effective evaluation of the decade. b)

Under the USAID guidelines, Latin American women's groups would

not have the right to establish their own process to decide how

and with whom to evaluate their progress over the past 10 years.

Brazilian women's groups would prefer to elect a council of

representatives, rather than having a NGO, financed by USAID,

represent them.

Ninety-eight women's groups from 18 Brazilian states met in

Rio de Janeiro in January 1994 and voted not to accept USAID

money. Brazil is the only Latin American country that has voted

not to "play the rules of the game". Two other meetings were held

in March and May 1994 and again concerns were raised that USAID

appears to have chosen an elite group of women that meets and

makes proposals for the Peking Conference. Groups were reminded

that in the past USAID financed dictators in Latin America and

supported the so-called, "Alliance for Progress" that socially

devastated many Latin American countries. Eleven feminist

organizations signed a document indicating concerns about the

attempt to "bureaucratize" feminism and the excessive power given

to this USAID backed NGO that is super-financed and not sharing

information.

Some of the specific concerns of these women's groups in the

light of the Peking Conference are:

- Democracy, citizenship and participation of women.

- Effect of the policies of structural adjustment and economic

neoliberalism on the lives of women; structural poverty and

social exclusion.

- Violence against women (gender violence as well as social

violence in rural and urban areas).

- Violence against women.

Violence against women has been highlighted as one of the

main concerns of Latin American women's groups preparing for the

International Conference in Peking in 1995. According to the

Americas Watch report "Criminal Injustice: Violence against Women

in Brazil in 1991", the human rights of women are not being

protected under the constitution. Some noteworthy facts are:

(1) Men convicted of premeditated homicides against women receive light sentences which are usually reduced by judges.

(2) More than 70% of cases of violence against women occur at home and few aggressors are ever punished. Of the 2000 cases registered in the Special Women's Police Station (DEAM) in Rio, not one case resulted in punishment. Of the more than 4000 cases registered in Sao Luis, Maranhao, only 2 aggressors were convicted.

(3) Rape is rarely investigated or judged. Women are routinely submitted to discriminating treatment by the police, doctors, state authorities and particularly by justice tribunals. Most women prefer not to report a rape because of the embarrassment and shame brought upon them by state authorities. The majority of sexual crimes, except rape, are considered crimes only if committed against a woman who is "virgin" and "honest".

A 1988 study of domestic violence in Brazil conducted by

Heleith Saffioti, a professor at the University of Sao Paulo,

indicates that violence against women is a form of social

control. In gender relations, many women are dominated and

exploited. The construction of the male identity by negation of

the feminine provokes resentment against women which is more and

more expressed in violent behavior. Brazilian women suffer

violence independent of social class, ethnicity, economic

development or age. A special edition of VEJA (August,1994) on Women indicates that violence against women is seen as the number one problem by 98% of the women interviewed. Sexual abuse at work was indicated as the second leading problem by 96% of the women.

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