URGENT ACTIONS
Corruption and Oppression in Sirinhaém
July 28, 2009
Driving along highway PE-060 through the northeastern state of
Pernambuco to the small city of Sirinhaém on the coast, one is
struck by the beauty of the green fields and blue skies on a sunny
day. Before they are harvested, the fields of sugarcane plants
are bright and verdant. The fields stretch to the horizon, going
around and over low lying hills and steep banks. As captivating
as the scenery is, the sugar cane is planted illicitly, without
respecting the legal boundaries of a thirty meter margin around
existing forests, to the road or the many rivers in the area. But
there is more to the view than the aggressive overplanting of an
environmentally harmful crop, these fields are part of the
violence and misery that constitutes the sugar cane industry in
Brazil.
The Comissão Pastoral da Terra (Catholic Church’s Land
Pastoral Commission) or CPT has been active in confronting the violence
of the sugar mills for thirty years in Brazil. The CPT has as
part of its mission to “value and protect the lands and waters
[of Brazil]… and basic human rights [of the Brazilian
people]”. Further it seeks to “denounce and combat
all forms of corruption, violence and attack on the dignity of
persons”. As a Catholic organization it is inspired “by the
subversive memory of the Gospel of life and hope” to be
“faithful to the God of the poor, the land of God and the poor of
the earth, hearing the cry that comes from the fields and
forests.” The Trapiche Sugar Mill in Sirinhaém,
Pernambuco gives the CPT ample opportunity to exercise its mission.
Luis Antonio de Andrade Bezerra bought the Trapiche Sugar Mill in
1998. Since that time the mill has planted sugarcane on state
land that it does not own, has polluted nearby rivers and streams and
harassed local inhabitants of the islands of Sirinhaém to leave
the land they have lived on for generations. The local residents
have sought protection and advocacy from government organizations whose
purposes included protecting the natural resources of Brazil and the
rights of its citizens. Trapiche continued to act with impunity
as the government agencies’ actions were ineffectual.
In 2006, the CPT got involved with the local residents of
Sirinhaém and started a plan with IBAMA, the Brazilian Institute
of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources. The plan was to
establish what is called an extravist reserve or
“resex”. Under the resex, the state lands that
Trapiche has been invading would be guaranteed to the original
community that lives there. The residents would protect the lands
through their traditional way of life that respects and maintains the
environment.
It would seem that the resex intiative would be quick and easy to
accomplish, after all the lands in question where not owned by the mill
but were public lands. In reality, the Trapiche Sugar Mill saw it
as a threat and responded forcefully. The sugar mill has
influence at all levels and in all branches of the Brazilian government
and it used those connections to slow down the process. Not
only corrupt but violent, the sugar mill sent armed men to the homes of
the residents to intimidate them into leaving. In two respects,
Trapiche has been successful. The first way is that the resex has
been effectively stalled. Originally, there was hope that the
resex would be complete by the end of 2006. But the process still has
not gotten off the ground. The second way is that after years of
arbitray imprisonment, destruction of their homes, theats from hired
thugs and the police only two of the original fifty-three families
living on the islands of Sirinhaém remain there.
The CPT continues to accompany the people of Sirinhaém in their
journey for the right to maintain their way of life and protect the
natural resources around them. On June 1, 2008 Trapiche along
with twenty-three other sugar mills in Pernambuco were charged with
environmental crimes and fined millions of Brazilian reais
(approximately 2.5 million $U.S. dollars). Much of the pollution
that Trapiche has generated has come from its involvement in producing
ethanol. One liter of ethanol also produces fifteen liters of
stillage, a toxic substance, that the mill was dumping into local
waterways.
On July 14, 2009, members of the CPT were present at a meeting between
the association of fisherfolk and a representative of the federal
government. In attendance was a functionary of the Chico
Mendes Institute which is responsible for protecting the natural
resources of Brazil. The CPT gave a written and oral request that
the resex be implemented as quickly as possible and that the government
hold a public audience as required by law as part of the resex
process. The Chico Mendes Institute responded that they may be
able to hold a public audience in August. While people in
Sirinhaém were disappointed by the delay, they are use to
waiting.
In the last week, it was learned that the public audience was cancelled
and that the federal government has not immediate plans to schedule a
new one. Additionally, threatening phone calls have been made to
the association of the fisherfolk telling them to give up on the resex.
Below are links to two videos produced by the CPT (with subtitles in
English) that present the testimonies of the two women who remain on
the islands with their families.
http://www.cptpe.org.br/modules.php?name=Video_Stream&page=watch&id=34&d=1
http://www.cptpe.org.br/modules.php?name=Video_Stream&page=watch&id=35&d=1
You can help support the struggle of the people of
Sirinhaém. The CPT is asking people to send emails to the
president, Rômulo Mello, and director, Paulo Maier, of the Chico
Mendes Institute (ICMBIO). If you are willing to send an e-mail,
please send the second one which is in Portuguese.
Translation:
The Presidency of the Chico Mendes Institute – ICM-BIO
President Rômulo Mello
e-mail:
romulomello@icmbio.gov.br
The Directorate of IUSP
Director Paulo Maier
e-mail:
paulomaier@icmbio.gov.br;
diusp@icmbio.gov.br
We are aware of the latests events in the region of Sirinhaém,
PE., a region which is being contemplated for a Extrativist Reserve
(RESEX) decree as a result of ICMBIO studies, a decree which will
guarantee the preservation of the environment and the sustainability of
the fisherfolk community who are part of the environment.
The Prefecture of Sirinhaém and the local (Trapiche) Sugar Mill
are exerting pressure against the RESEX decree. Anonymous phone calls
are made to the Directorate of the Fisherfolk Colony. The lives of
those who assert the right for the creation of a RESEX are at risk.
The Public Audience arranged for 15 June 2009 was cancelled. No new
date has been arranged. If this is not done immediately (arrange the
date, hold the Audience) the RESEX process will come to a halt. The 15
June 2009 Audience was cancelled – according to ICMBIO
information – because of interference from the state government
which asked for a meeting with ICMBIO to resolve the differences.
Why has this meeting not yet been arranged?
Until when will it be delayed?
Will it only be arranged after the “announced deaths” of those threatened by anonymous phone calls?
It is for this reason we ask for what is demanded by this situation: the immediate realization of the Public Audience.
Yours sincerely,
_______________________
À Presidência do Instituto Chico Mendes
Presidente Rômulo Mello
e-mail: romulomello@icmbio.gov.br
À Diretoria de IUSP
Diretor Paulo Maier
e-mail: paulomaier@icmbio.gov.br
diusp@icmbio.gov.br
Tomamos conhecimento dos últimos acontecimentos na região
de Sirinhaém, PE., região contemplada pelos estudos do
ICMBIO para realizar uma Reserva Extrativista (RESEX) que irá
garantir a preservação do meio ambiente na região
e a sustentabilidade da comunidade de pescadores que fazem parte deste
meio ambiente.
As pressões por parte da Prefeitura do Município de
Sirinhaém e da Usina Trapiche contra a criação da
RESEX, as ameaças anônimas por telefone feitas a Diretoria
da Colônia dos Pescadores põem em risco a vida das pessoas
que reivindicam a criação da RESEX.
A Consulta Pública que seria realizada em 15 de junho 2009 foi
adiada, segundo informação do próprio ICMBIO, por
interferência do governo estadual que solicitava uma conversa com
o ICMBIO para sanar desencontro de informações entre
governo estadual e federal.
Por que ainda não foi realizada esta conversa?
Até quando será adiada?
Será marcada depois da morte anunciada pelas ameaças anônimas?
Por isso, pedimos o que a situação exige: a realização da Consulta Pública, imediatamente.
Atenciosamente,
