Number 66, February 18, 1993.

RURAL QUESTIONS

- Escape of Chico Mendes' killers shames Brazil.

The facility by which Chico Mendes' (the Trade unionist and ecologist) killers escaped from prison in Acre, in the early hours of Monday morning February 15, continues to shame Brazil. The 35 entities that represent the grassroots movements in that state, published a press release stating that they are "dismayed and indignant" about the escape of Darli Alves da Silva, and his son Darci, who, respectively, ordered and carried out the murder of Chico Mendes, in December of 1988.

The note states that the Chico Mendes Committee has been warning authorities in Acre, for years, about the precarious security in the prison in Rio Branco, without getting any satisfaction. They also say that the two murderers received special privileges in jail. This special treatment, included private medical care outside the prison. "It was exactly this privileged health care, which was denied the other prisoners, that the prisoners gave as the reason for the last three rebellions in the prison and led to mass escapes".

The note goes on to say that Darli's and Darci's escape puts "the degrading side of Brazil's legal disorder, which has shamed us so often in the past, once again into the international limelight".

In Sao Paulo, the Unified Workers Confederation of Brazil (CUT) released a note entitled "For the Capture of Chico Mendes' Killers", saying that they and all of Brazilian society hope that this mistake will be put right, as soon as possible, because the escape of the killers of Chico Mendes is an affront to the conscience, the morality and the ethics of public opinion".

Environmental organizations from the United States sent a letter to President Itamar Franco stating that "no criminal in Brazil need fear the law, unless his victim is rich or famous".

The National Council for Rubber Plant Workers, of which Mendes was founder and leader, also released an official note saying that "the escape puts the lives of other rural union leaders at stake". They claim that impunity in a case like this, that has international repercussions, indicates that the Brazilian government is incapable of resolving the problem and as for the state government it has proved itself to be negligent and lacking responsibility.

- Osmarino denounces death threats.

The union leader from Acre, Osmarino Rodrigues, one of Chico Mendes successors in the rural union's and environmentalist's struggle in the Amazon is in Sao Paulo to denounce the death-threats that he has been receiving. According to Osmarino, some of these threats were made by relatives of Darli Alves, one of the landowners who planned the killing of Chico Mendes and who escaped from prison in Rio Branco, last Monday, with his son, Darci, the author of the crime.

Brazilian civil entities are trying to mobilize their members to publicize Osmarino's accusations, and also to demand urgent action from the Federal Government, so that the impunity for those who plan and carry out crimes against grassroots leaders in Acre, be ended. Today, Februaru 18, Osmarino will give a talk in Sao Paulo's Municipal Legislature.

- Entities from Minas write to President Itamar about agrarian reform.

The execution of an ample and widespread agrarian reform in Brazil, "is an essential condition for the country's economic and social development and for democracy". This is what the Federation of Agricultural Workers from the State of Minas Gerais (FETAEMG), the Church's Pastoral Land Commission (CPT/MG) and other civil entities from Minas say in a letter sent last week to President Itamar Franco.

The letter asks the President of the Republic to veto certain articles of the Agrarian Reform Bill approved by parliament on January 27. According to the entities, these articles, if maintained, will make agrarian reform impossible. The letter says that the question of land, considered in all it's aspects, is essential for democracy. "It's the knot in society, that must be untied". Agrarian reform, they say, concerns everyone, not only people in the rural areas, but also people in the cities. It's not just a question for the millions of landless families and those with small holdings, who are fighting for survival and dignity. Rather it's essential to understand that the poverty and violence of the cities, is born of the migration and misery caused by the monopoly of power, wealth and land that exists in the interior. They point out that the landless in the countryside are the homeless in the cities.

The entities emphasize that there is a necessity for radical changes in agricultural policies that today are geared to exportation and which monopolize public money. Policy changes would make it possible to create an agriculture system that produces, principally, for the internal market and concerns itself with the welfare of the country's population. The letter concludes by saying that agrarian reform "is the meeting point of the major questions of our era: socially just and auto-sustaining development, defense of the environment and democracy".

URBAN QUESTIONS

- 600 thousand live in extreme poverty in Sao Paulo.

600 thousand of Sao Paulo's inhabitants live in a state of extreme poverty and 4.5 million suffer some kind of social deprivation. This is what a recent study called, "Duality Between Wealth and Poverty - The Basis of Social and Economic Equilibrium", says. The study was prepared by the city's secretariat for the Family and Social Welfare and will be published soon. It shows that 600 thousand poor live on the streets of Sao Paulo, while 3 million "live" in rented rooms or "corticos". Of the people that live on the streets, 92% are under 40 years of age, 11% are illiterate and 28% are from the State of Sao Paulo (14% from the capital). The majority are victims of unemployment.

- Municipal entities criticize Maluf's administration.

Sao Paulo's Municipal Entities Forum - which unites the city worker's unions - distributed a manifesto on February 17 criticizing the new mayor, Paulo Maluf's administration of public companies. The manifesto, with the title of "He really is incredible", states that "already in his first month in office, Paulo Maluf is showing the city his true face. Instead of seeking to resolve the populations' problems, like he promised during his campaign, Maluf is doing everything to worsen the city's public service, principally in the area of transportation".

The unions remind the population that Maluf put up busfares by 75% in one month; took 1000 buses off the streets, liberated the use of clandestine buses, without any guarantee of public safety, and plans to privatize some of the city's public companies, like the bus company, the housing corporation, garbage collection and others in the cultural area.

WOMEN'S QUESTIONS

- Women affected by Norplant talk of court action.

Fifty two women who used the contraceptive Norplant could start a court case for losses and damages in the Rio courts, within the next few days. Debates on the subject are going on at the moment with the help of the Attorney's Consumer's Defense Office (Procon) and the Network for the Defense of the Human Species (REDEH), a NGO based in Rio de Janeiro.

This month REDEH also published a survey, called "The Norplant Route - Diverting Contraception", based on the experiences of 52 women who took the contraceptive. The work traces Norplant's entry into Brazil, the role of the Ministry of Health, the work done to convince women to use the drug, it's production and the reaction of the feminist movement.

HUMAN RIGHTS

- Pro-central prepare campaign against violence.

A national campaign against hunger, poverty and violence and in favor of life, is being prepared for this year by the Pro-Central Grassroots Movements, with the support of other entities of civilian society. Another meeting. to continue the preparations, will be held on the March 4, in Sao Paulo.

The preliminary document for the campaign states that the social situation in Brazil shows alarming statistics: There are 12 million rural people without land and an equal number of urban workers homeless. 40% of the Brazilian population live in a state of permanent sub-nutrition and 2.6 million Brazilian children under-nourished. Among the causes of infant mortality, 60% are linked to hunger.

The document reveals other unbelievable facts: an average of 45% of Brazilian women of fertile age have already been sterilized. In Maranhao, these figures reach a startling 80%. There are approximately, 500 thousand girls, between the ages of 11 and 15 working as prostitutes. Over one million minors are already mothers. More than 4.600 children were assassinated in Brazil between 1988 and 1990.

Through the use of these depressing statistics, the Movement hopes to create a collective consciousness and help people think about and debate the problem of violence in Brazil, it's causes and its' consequences.

- Families of missing prisoners reject exclusion of those missing in Araguaia.

The commissions of the families of political prisoners missing during the military dictatorship, are getting ready to reject the intention of the military to exclude the 69 prisoners of the Araguaia guerrillas, who also disappeared during that period.

The guerrilla movement was led by the Communist Party of Brazil (PC do B), in the 70's against the dictatorship. Although it hasn't been announced officially, the military, dealing with the case of the missing political prisoners, have stated informally, that they don't accept the inclusion of those who disappeared in Araguaia, in any agreement, because they claim they were killed in a war. The families of the missing don't accept this, because they believe, that independently of the circumstances in which they lost their relatives, they have the right to know where the bodies were buried, so they can give them a decent burial.

- Lawyers association denounce slave-labor in Brazil.

The president of the Federal Council of the Lawyers Association of Brazil (OAB), Marcelo Lavenere, visited Geneva, last week to denounce the existence of slave-labor in Brazil, especially in rural areas, to the United Nations Commission for Human Rights.

- Forum publishes book on violence in Alagoas.

"Something less than Citizenship: The different faces of violence in Alagoas", is the title of a book that has just been published by the Permanent Forum against Violence, in the State of Alagoas. Various civil entities from Alagoas participated in the elaboration of the book, including the Churches Pastoral Commission for Land (CPT), the Commission for the Formation of Unions, the Movement for Landless Rural Workers, the Movement for Homeless Workers, FASE, World Vision, the Federation of Agriculture Workers, the National Movement of Street Children, the State Council for the Defense of Women's Rights, the Unified Federation of Workers (CUT) and the Missionary Council for Indigenous Peoples (CIMI).

According to the book, 70% of the population of Alagoas is illiterate or semi-illiterate. The state - still dominated by a few powerful families, like the Mellos, of the former president, Fernando Collor de Mello, and the Maltas, of the ex-first lady, Rosane Collor - has 104.574 landless rural workers and 36.760 small property owners. Research carried out in 1991 by the State Council for the Defense of Women's Rights (CEDIM) shows that 52% of women of fertile age are sterilized between the ages of 26 and 35 years. The book can be got from the Forum at the following address: Caixa Postal 52, CEP 57021 - 330, Maceio, Alagoas.

TRADE UNIONS

- CUT support federal tax.

The National Executive of the Unified Workers Confederation of Brazil (CUT), the biggest Brazilian congress of unions, decided to support the creation of a new provisional tax on financial movements called IPMF. The new tax has already been approved by parliament and is at present being debated in the Senate. The new tax is undergoing severe criticism, especially from big businesses in Sao Paulo and also from the Forca Sindical, the second most important congress of unions in Brazil.

However, CUT has laid down a few conditions for it's support: the new tax mustn't affect salaries and the funds resulting from it must be used in social programs such as education, housing, health care, the fight against hunger, agrarian reform and agricultural policies which benefit small farmers.

In Sao Paulo, CUT's president Jair Meneguelli criticized various sectors that are against the new tax. He said that "the Mayor of Sao Paulo, Paulo Maluf and the Governor of Bahia, Antonio Carlos Magalhaes, are not interested that Itamar Franco's government be successful". He also said that the IPMF will mean the end for the common practice of "caixa dois", that is the parallel accountancy used by firms to avoid paying taxes.

- Horses at Sao Paulo's Jockey Club cost US$ 300 per month.

Each horse at Sao Paulo's Jockey Club consumes in rations and medicines, US$ 300 every month, while workers at the stables, who look after the animals, earn only half this much.

The information was given by the president of the Stable Workers Trade Union of the State of Sao Paulo, Manoelito Pereira Ramos. The minimum salary in Brazil, at the moment, is less than US$ 70 a month, even though, President Itamar Franco's government promised that the salary would not be US$ 100 by the beginning of 93. The horses menu at the Jockey Club includes oat meal and powdered milk, items that the working class in Brazil can rarely afford.

INDIGENOUS QUESTIONS

- Timber merchants cause enormous problems in indigenous areas.

Timber companies have been involved for some time now in the devastation of indigenous areas in the Amazon. It is in this region that there exists the greatest concentration of hard-woods - especially mahogany (Swietenia Macrophylla). This timber has a high market value and has been sought out by timber companies in recent years.

What is even more serious is that even though the Brazilian Constitution prohibits the extraction of natural resources from indigenous areas, the timber companies have been given a free hand to extract the timber thanks to the support they receive from state governors, politicians and groups opposed to the rights of the indigenous peoples. Public organs responsible for the protection of the indigenous patrimony do little because of the lack of political good-will on the part of the state and federal governments and also because of lack of funds. Thus the timber companies have virtually total access to the timber.

The timber companies, especially those who are active in the States of Para and Rondonia, present themselves as responsible for the development of the north of the country. But in fact they are responsible for the devastation of the indigenous areas and ecological reserves and are making a profit of millions of dollars with the exportation of hard-woods especially to the U.S.A. and Great Britain according to denouncements made by entities linked to indigenous and ecological areas.

The Association of the Exporting Industries of the State of Para (Associacao das Industrias Exportadores do Estado do Para - Aimex) presented a document towards the end of January to the Minister of the Environment, Couthinho Jorge, in which they promise not to extract any more timber from indigenous areas. What calls attention is the fact that the version of the document registered with a public notary was in English and does not include a list of the timber companies who signed it. The conclusion of many entities connected to indigenous and ecological areas is that the document is merely a process of window-dressing on the part of the association of the timber companies to calm foreign importers of timber who are being pressurized by international public opinion because of their purchase of wood which is illegally harvested in Brazil.

Since last year a number of entities such as Greenpeace, the Unified Workers' Confederation of Brazil (CUT), the Nucleo of Indigenous Rights (Nucleo de Direitos Indigenous - NDI), Operation Anchieta (Operacao Anchieta -OPAN), rural workers trade unions and the Indigenist Missionary Council (CIMI) have formed a coalition against the extraction of mahogany. This coalition has denounced the activity of timber companies in indigenous areas. The list is extensive but the principal companies include Maginco, Perachi, Bannach, Mazsa, Itamarati, Impar, Mapel, Giosatsky/Incomaro, Industria Mehl Florestal da Amazonia and Madal. In the State of Rondonia alone the estimate is that 80 such large companies are functioning without hindrance.

The timber companies have not only provoked social and ecological problems but have been responsible for serious conflict between their functionaries and indigenous leadership which has resisted the plunder of their territories. An example of such a conflict was the armed confrontation at the beginning of this year between the Nambikwara indians of the Sarare reserve and a group of timber merchants who were stealing timber from the indian territory. The Sarare reserve is situated in the municipality of Pontes e Lacerda on the border between the States of Mato Grosso and Rondonia. Shots were fired and a functionary of a timber company was killed. Towards the end of last year, indigenous leader Domingos Gaviao of the Riachinho village, municipality of Amarante, State of Maranhao was gunned down by a timber merchant because he would not allow the extraction of timber from the indigenous area where he lived.

- Important meeting deals with the illegal extraction of timber.

On February 02 last an important meeting took place in Brasilia to deal with the question of the illegal extraction of timber, especially mahogany, from indigenous territories and ecological reserves. The meeting took place as the result of an initiative of the British Embassy so that Arthur Morrel, a representative of the Timber Trade Federation which is based in London could meet with entities interested in indigenous and ecological questions as well as with representatives of the Association of Timber Merchants of the State of Para (Aimex), with representatives of governmental organs responsible for this area, with representatives of the Attorney General's office and with members of parliament.

The visit of Mr. Morrel to Brazil resulted from the denouncements and campaigns carried out by various entities who are preoccupied with the indigenist question and the question of the tropical forests. The Timber Trade Federation represents companies which import mahogany from at least four large Brazilian companies who illegally extract timber from indigenous areas. Mr. Morrel said that he came to Brazil with the intention "of hearing, seeing and learning" about this question and added that the Timber Trade Federation does not condone illegal actions. According to Greenpeace, the U.S.A. and Great Britain are the principal importers of mahogany from Brazil and a large part of this produce is extracted illegally from indigenous areas.

During the meeting two positions became very clear. Representatives of the timber companies from the State of Para defended their activities and denied extraction of timber from indigenous territories. Those who defended a second position denounced the illegal extraction of timber and the consequent drastic consequences.

Lawyer Aldebar Klautau speaking on behalf of the timber merchants from Para, said that he found it hard to understand the expansion of the indigenous areas in the State of Para. According to him, in 1952 there were only 812 thousand hectares in the state given over to the indians and at the moment there are 26 million hectares. He claimed as well that the timber companies create employment and companies who are involved in law suits because of alleged illegal invasion of indigenous areas are defending themselves in court because there is no proof against them. These statements were sharply contested by the representatives of all the entities present as well as by the representative of the Attorney General's office, Rodrigo Janot. Mr. Janot was categorical in stating that his office has no doubts regarding the boundaries of the indigenous areas. He went on to state that the activity of the timber companies in such areas is illegal and is blatantly against the federal constitution. According to Mr. Janot, one of the principal tasks of his office during this year will be the investigation of the illegal extraction of timber.

During the meeting, the secretary of the Indigenist Missionary Council (Cimi), Guenter Francisco Loebens, called attention to the conflicts provoked by the timber companies in indigenous areas. He stated that during 1992 various armed conflicts involving indians and functionaries of timber companies took place and an indigenist leader, Domingos Gaviao, was killed as he tried to hinder the extraction of timber from his area. He also stated that the social and cultural disintegration brought about by the presence of the timber companies is very serious. Such companies not only steal timber but they also succeed in dividing indigenous leadership. Mr. Loebens remembered that the chief solution to this problem is the demarcation and protection of the indigenous territories.

- Brazilian government plans to reduce territory of Arara indians; invaders will be favored by decision.

The Indigenist Missionary Council (Cimi) released a document on February 10 in which they claim that the Minister for Justice, Mauricio Correa, ordered the National Indian Foundation (Fundacao Nacional do Indio - Funai) to revise the limits of the indigenous area of Cachoeira Seca of the Arara indians in order to benefit invaders who since 1988 have been illegally occupying the area. The indigenous area in question is situated in the State of Para.

The Minister for Justice ordered the revision of the limits of the indigenous area just over a week ago during an audience he maintained with the mayor of the municipality and representatives of the invaders. The order of the minister was given even though the minister had signed a document on January 22 last defining the limits of the indigenous area and ordering that the demarcation of it be carried out.

As of yet nobody knows in how much the area will be reduced. Those who defend the reduction claim that very few indians live in this area and that if the entire area were maintained as a reserve, approximately 350 families of invaders would have to be resettled; if the limits were revised only 100 families would have to be resettled.

According to Cimi, statements such as the above merely justify the reduction of the indigenous territories and the extermination of entire peoples in the country. Cimi claims that the proposal for the revision of the limits is one more aggression against the Arara; what really needs to be done is the resettlement of the invading families in the area. The Cimi statement goes on to point out that the demarcation of indigenous areas is stipulated in the federal constitution and should be carried out according to clear and objective criteria. Such a revision of the limits of the Arara territory would be one in a serious of aggressions committed against this people. Their territory was already invaded by rubber-tappers, it was cut by the Trans-Amazonian highway in 1970, it was invaded as and from 1981 and in 1988 the first timber merchants arrived.

Cimi can be contacted at the following address:

Caixa Postal 03679

70.084-970 Brasilia,

D.F., Brazil.

Fax (061) 225-9401 and phone (061) 225-9457

- President Itamar receives plea in favor of Yanomami.

An urgent plea is being sent to President Itamar Franco by indigenous organizations, indigenous people and human rights groups from all over Brazil, so that the process of removing miners and prospectors from already demarcated Yanomami territory, on Brazil's frontier with Venezuela, be speeded up. The message suggested by the Commission for the Creation of the Yanomami Park (CCPY), also asks the President of the Republic to take measures to install a permanent monitoring system to guarantee that the invading miners don't return. The invasions are a constant occurrence since the Yanomami territory was demarcated last June. The government have been promising to remove the miners, but allege that they don't have the financial resources to carry out the operation. The NGO's who wish to send messages of support for the Yanomami, should write to : The President of the Republic, Dr. Itamar Franco, Palacio do Planalto, CEP 70150-90, fax 061-226.7566, Brasilia, DF, Brazil.

The reproduction of this material is permitted as long as the source is cited.