NEWS FROM BRAZIL supplied by SEJUP (Servico Brasileiro de Justica e Paz).
Number 445, August 9, 2001.
In this week's issue:
>NEWS BRIEFS
- Proposal announced for the biggest dam in Brazil
- Candelaria survivor receives reparations
- Jorge Amado dies at age 88
- Brazil goes into more debt; IMF arranges US$13.8 billion
>UPDATE ON MASSACRE AT ELDORADO DOS CARAJAS
- MST Will Ask for Carajás Case Reopening
>INDIGENOUS ISSUES
- CIR protests against beginning of construction of a fort for Army Platoon
NEWS BRIEFS
- Proposal announced for the biggest dam in Brazil
This week, a proposal was made for what will be the biggest dam in Brazil.
The dam, designed by Eletronorte, will cost US$6 billion, and will
generate 11 thousand MW of power. Eletronorte wants to build the dam on
the Xingu river, located in Para. Already environmentalists have begun
protests against the construction of the dam.
Source: Correio da Cidadania
August 4-11
- Candelaria survivor receives reparations
One of the few survivors of the Candelaria shooting, Wagner dos Santos,
returned to Rio this week to receive reparations in the amount of US$1500.
Dos Santos currently lives in Switzerland and is under the protection of
Amnesty International. In the incident which happened in 1993, eight boys
were killed while sleeping on the door steps of a church in Candalaria, Rio
de Janeiro, when Military Police opened fire on the group.
Source: Folha de Sao Paulo
August 4, 2001
- Jorge Amado dies at age 88
One of Brazil's most world renown authors, Jorge Amado, died on Monday,
August 6, of heart failure. Amado's books have been translated into 49
languages. His most popular book in Brazil is Gabriela, Clove and
Cinnamon, written in 1958. During much of his life, Amado, a former member
of the Communist party, was under constant scrutiny and watch of the
military dictatorship. In fact, he was imprisoned in 1935, and was exiled
in 1952. Amado, 88, died of heart failure.
Source: Folha de Sao Paulo
August 7, 2001
- Brazil goes into more debt; IMF arranges US$13.8 billion
Brazil has once again gone to the international bankers to procure more
debt. This past week, the IMF (International Monetary Fund) arranged a
US$13.8 billion loan. As part of the arrangement, the government will have
to reduce its spending by US$2.5 billion in 2002 (an election year for
Brazil). The government claims that it will not cut social spending or in
the area of electricity. The US$2.5 million will be used to pay off
interest on public debts.
Source: Folha de Sao Paulo
August 8, 2001
UPDATE ON MASSACRE AT ELDORADO DOS CARAJAS
- MST Will Ask for Carajás Case Reopening
(Translation by Rio Maria Committee)
Pedro Soares, Rio Bureau--Based on the article published the day before
yesterday in the Folha, the MST (Rural Landless Workers Movement) will
request that the Ministério Público (Public Prosecutor) of Pará reopen
their investigation into the massacre in Eldorado de Carajás in the
southern part of the state.
MST leader, João Pedro Stedile said that the movement believes that army
agents participated in the April 1996 massacre that resulted in the death
of 19 rural workers.
Secret Army documents obtained by the Folha reveal that the army compared
social movements, the MST among others, to narcotraffickers and even
admitted the possibility that they could be targets for "elimination,"
without specifying the circumstances. The document further admits the
possibility of "trampling on the rights of citizens" in order to
guarantee
the public order.
Stedile stated that the fact that the army classifies social movements as
"adversary forces" may explain the presence of army intelligence
agents in
Marabá, Pará neighboring Eldorado. "We always detected infiltrators in
our
encampments. We simply never knew by whom. We thought it was the military
police," he said, defending the possibility that army agents had spied on
the MST during the period of tensions in Eldorado leading up to the massacre.
According to Stedile, on Monday the MST will file a request with the
Ministério Público of Pará that these new revelations be investigated. If
there are sufficient grounds, the case should then move to a new trial in
the justice system.
"If there are [army] agents there [in Marabá], the Ministério Público
must
investigate their degree of involvement [in the massacre] in Carajás. We
are going to request an investigation into the participation of army
officials in the case, along with any government responsibility."
The MST leader criticized the army activities detailed in the published
documents, where, in his opinion, social movements are equated with
criminals.
"Simon Bolivar [leader of the fight for Latin American independence from
Spain] said: Woe to the Army that dares to aim their arms at the people.¹
What they [the government and the Army] fear is the time when poor folk
begin to organize themselves. Brazil only lives a lie of democracy."
In Stedile's opinion the army most likely limited itself to spying on the
encampments, while application of force remained the responsibility of the
military police. "It may be another holdover from the military
dictatorship," he suggested.
Stedile admits that the government may not have been aware of the army
directives regarding social movements but criticized government officials
and the president, Fernando Henrique Cardoso.
In his estimation, the head of the Cabinet for Institutional Security,
General Alberto Cardoso, must bear the major responsibility for the alleged
spying. In his capacity as coordinator of Abin (Brazilian Agency for
Intelligence) he should have exercised complete authority over any type of
investigation undertaken by the government.
"At the very least, [Brazilian president] FHC should demand explanations
from General Cardoso, or even dismiss him. He is responsible for all
intelligence activity. He should have known [about the documents]."
The MST leader criticized [president] FHC and Defense Minister Geraldo
Quintão: "In his capacity as president of the republic, FHC is compliant
[with the army's intelligence activities]. He may even have had access to
the information in the documents. Even if he didn't know, he is, at the
very least, an accomplice. And Quintão, with his authority over the army,
is responsible as well."
View from the Other Side
Defense Department and General Cardoso decline comment
Brasília Bureau--Defense Minister, Geraldo Quintão, said through his press
liaison that he had no comment on Stedile¹s remarks.
Since 17 hours yesterday the Folha has attempted to contact the head of the
Cabinet for Institutional Security, General Alberto Cardoso, to comment on
Stedile's remarks. The general's advisors promised to return calls as soon
as they had a comment. As of 23 hours yesterday, they had not called. The
Folha attempted to reinitiate contact, but no aides for the cabinet
minister were found.
In answer to the accusations of government foot-dragging on funds for
agrarian reform, the president of Incra (National Institute for
Colonization and Agrarian Reform), Sebastião Azevedo said that Stedile
presented incorrect data. "Agrarian reform has not been halted. All
projects and resources are [being deployed] according to schedule. Every
thing is being implemented within the schedule established for this year"
he said.
According to Azevedo, Incras total budget this year is R$1.2 billion. Of
this 37% has already been essentially spent and 57% have been earmarked.
"We already have land for 30,000 families on hand and by November 30 we
will reach our goal of settling 60,000 families in 2001," said Azevedo.
The president's office also did not wish to issue any comment.
[translator¹s note: the Folha article on Stedile did not mention any his
charges relating to agrarian reform!]
INDIGENOUS ISSUES
- CIR protests against beginning of construction of a fort for Army Platoon
The Indigenous Council of Roraima sent a document to the minister of
Defense, Geraldo Quintão, saying that he will be held responsible for any
conflicts that may occur between indigenous people and soldiers as a result
of the construction of a fort for the 6th Special Border Platoon (PEF) in
Uiramutã, in the Raposa/Serra do Sol indigenous area, state of Roraima. On
August 19 the newspaper Folha de Boa Vista published information provided
by the commander of the 1st Jungle Infantry Brigade, Claudimar Magalhães
Nunes, about a ceremony scheduled for Wednesday, the 25th, to mark the
beginning of the construction of the fort. CIR and Cimi protested against
the ceremony and said that before building anything in the area, the Army
should wait until a federal court issues a final decision on this matter
after analyzing the contents of a legal action against the construction of
the fort.
The indigenous people of Roraima want to have an opportunity to express
their opinion about where the fort should be built, outside indigenous
areas. But the Armed Forces ignore their position. For this reason, the
legal battle against the 6th PEF has been particularly intense. On January
3 of this year, the affected indigenous communities managed to convince
federal judge Hélder Girão, who decided to issue a preliminary order
suspending the construction of the fort. The indigenous people have been
arguing that building a fort for the Platoon in the area constitutes a huge
aggression against the cultural values of the Macuxi of Uiramutã, as more
alcoholic beverages will be brought to their villages and violence against
indigenous women will grow, similarly to what happened with the Yanomami
community.
The Legal Office of the Federal Government (AGU) appealed to the Federal
Regional Court (TRF) of the 1st region in Brasília against the decision of
judge Hélder Girão. The chief justice of the Court, judge Tourinho Neto,
visited the area accompanied by representatives of anti-indigenous sectors
in the federal administration and decided to suspend the preliminary order.
The Public Prosecution Service of the Federal Administration filed two
appeals against the decision of the TRF: an extraordinary appeal against
the decision to resume the construction of the fort and a writ of mandamus
to annul the decision of judge Tourinho Neto. General solicitor Deborah
Duprat argued that the decision of the TRF judge is unconstitutional. So
far, none of these appeals has been judged. General solicitor Deborah
Duprat said that the Army has disregarded a legal decision, since judge
Torinho Neto set a deadline for the Army and the indigenous communities to
reach an agreement about the location where the fort should be built.
In the document that was sent to minister Quintão, which was also sent to
the minister of Justice, José Gregori, and to the President of the
Republic, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, the CIR points out that no final
decision has been made in relation to the legal action so far. It also
stresses how the indigenous communities are worried with the presence of
the military so close to their villages.
It also says that the Federal Court of Roraima determined that an
anthropological and topological study was to be carried out to detect
possible impacts of the project on the social and cultural organization of
the indigenous people and on their customs and traditions "as a result of
the presence of soldiers in an indigenous land and of the unknown type of
relationship they could establish with indigenous people."
The CIR complained that the Army has not shown any interest in developing a
dialogue with indigenous people. It warns that the situation imposed on
indigenous people without any dialogue has given rise to a climate of
tension and anguish that may lead to conflicts between them and the
military. It described this situation as one in which "the indigenous
people are the disarmed parties and the federal administration will be held
responsible for all the violence arising therefrom." The CIR asked the
competent authorities to avoid any violence and to interrupt the
construction of the fort "until an agreement is reached with the indigenous
communities in relation to where the 6th PEF should be stationed and rules
are defined for the relationship between the two parties as the platoon
carries out its duties, so as to ensure respect for the constitutional
rights of indigenous peoples."
A ceremony with a play and promises of health care for indigenous
communities to persuade them to accept the project
The governor of Roraima, Neudo Campos, federal representatives Alcestes
Madeira (Liberal Front Party-state of Roraima) and Francisco Rodrigues
(Liberal Front Party-state of Roraima), and the chief justice of the
Supreme Court of the State, Lupercino Nogueira, attended a ceremony that
was held to celebrate the beginning of the construction of the fort for the
6th Border Platoon that included a vulgar sketch meant to convey the notion
of "harmony among different races." Three soldiers were selected to
represent indigenous people, Caucasians, and blacks.
For three days the Army had been actively trying to persuade the indigenous
people to accept the presence of the Platoon in their area through visits
of doctors and dentists to it. Providing health care to indigenous
communities is a constitutional duty of the Brazilian State through the
National Health Foundation (Funasa). In order to provide this kind of
service, the Armed Forces are required to submit a health care program
specifically designed for indigenous communities to Funasa and to the
District Council of the East Sanitary District of Roraima (DSL-RR)
beforehand, so as to ensure integration between their activities.
The CIR reported that health care activities have been used by the military
as a means to seduce the indigenous community into accepting the presence
of the military in their land. By offering health care services on the day
of the ceremony that was held to celebrate the beginning of the
construction of the fort for the Platoon, the Armed Forces want to show to
local indigenous populations that they can meet all their needs.
"The Army is once again promoting division among indigenous people by
betting on internal conflicts as a means to impose their policy of
occupying indigenous areas in border regions," said Egon Heck, Cimi's
executive secretary. The Platoon is part of the Calha Norte project created
in the 1980s. In the last 15 years, the Calha Norte project has not been
changed in any way to ensure respect for the ethnic and cultural diversity
of Amazon populations. It's a project that fosters among forest peoples the
idea that sluggish regional development poses a risk for the country.
Source: Indianist Missionary Council - Cimi
July 26, 2001
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