Brazil authorizes several gold mines in pristine areas of the Amazon
Mining activity in the Amazon region has soared during Jair Bolsonaro's presidency and especially in recent months.
Here, on the banks of the Madeira, one of the main tributaries of the Amazonas river, near Nova Olinda, November 26, 2021. AP - Edmar Barros
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
The Brazilian government of Jair Bolsonaro has authorized at least seven gold prospecting projects in some of the most protected areas of the Amazon in 2021, the
Folha de São Paulo
newspaper revealed on Sunday (December 5th)
.
General Augusto Heleno, Minister of Internal Security and Chief of Intelligence, says the plans are "
for the good of Brazil
".
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With our correspondent in São Paulo,
Martin Bernard
The far-right government of Jair Bolsonaro has never hidden its desire to develop mining activities in the Amazon.
And General Augusto Heleno, who is both the head of intelligence and the executive secretary of the National Defense Council, recently authorized seven gold mining projects
in the Amazon in an extremely sensitive area
.
Home to at least 23 indigenous peoples, it is an area of practically virgin forest, close to the border with Colombia and Venezuela.
It was the newspaper
Folha de São Paulo
that made the revelation
, while
gold panning is progressing throughout the region
.
Without denying the information, General Heleno defended mining activities in the region and said that the Bolsonaro government would continue to explore the region for "
the good of Brazil
".
He said Monday, December 6
that these practices are "
legal
"
and provided for by the Constitution.
The government has even sent in a bill to allow gold panning on native land in 2020, but Congress has yet to consider it.
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To read also:
Brazil launches an operation against illegal gold miners after giving them time to flee
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Brazil
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Jair Bolsonaro