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- Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive
- Path: sparky!uunet!wupost!mont!pencil.cs.missouri.edu!rich
- From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
- Subject: BRAZIL SELLS OUT INDIANS, ENVIRONMENT MILITARY AND PREDATORY
- Message-ID: <1992Aug29.021309.392@mont.cs.missouri.edu>
- Followup-To: alt.activism.d
- Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
- Sender: news@mont.cs.missouri.edu
- Nntp-Posting-Host: pencil.cs.missouri.edu
- Organization: PACH
- Date: Sat, 29 Aug 1992 02:13:09 GMT
- Approved: map@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
- Lines: 141
-
- ** Topic: Action Alert **
- ** Written 2:31 pm Aug 18, 1992 by hrcoord in cdp:gen.nativenet **
- Original-Sender: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord@igc.apc.org>
-
- /* Written 7:34 am Aug 18, 1992 by edf in cdp:ax.brasil */
-
- URGENT ACTION - BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT SELLS OUT INDIANS, ENVIRONMENT TO
- MILITARY AND PREDATORY DEVELOPMENT INTERESTS
-
-
- Brazilian President Fernando Collor de Mello is attempting to deal away the
- possibility of any further demarcation of Indian lands or creation of
- environmentally protected areas in Brazil in a desperate bid for military and
- developers support to keep in him office. A Congressional investigation has
- clearly and publicly linked Collor to massive corruption, influence peddling
- and extortion by his campaign treasurer, P.C. Farias and will likely recomend
- his impeachment. Collor has in effect auctioned off governmental office to
- buy 1/3 of the votes in Congress and block the impeachment proceedings.
- COLLOR HAS ALSO INSTRUCTED THE SECRETARY OF ENVIRONMENT AND
- MINISTER OF JUSTICE THAT ANY INDIAN LAND DEMARCATIONS AND
- CREATION OF PROTECTED AREAS WILL HENCEFORTH NEED APPROVAL
- FROM THE CHIEFS OF STAFF OF THE ARMED FORCES, THE NATIONAL
- DEPARTMENT OF MINERAL PRODUCTION, THE NATIONAL ELECTRICAL
- POWER COMPANY AND THE NATIONAL AGRICULTURE RESEARCH AGENCY.
-
- This is a political payoff to sectors of the military that have vehemently
- opposed recognition of Indian lands or creation of environmentally protected
- areas in the Amazon.
-
- Leading Brazilian NGOs (the Ecumenical Center for Documentation and
- Information - CEDI; the Federation of Social and Educational Assisstance
- Organs - FASE; and the Nucleus for Indigenous Rights - NDI) have denounced
- the maneuver as subverting the Brazilian constitution and grossly abusing
- democratic process. Marcos Coimbra, Secretary General of the Presidency
- informed the Environment Secretary and Justice Minister of the change in a
- memo (aviso 745)-- an administrative act devoid of legal status and hidden
- from public scrutiny.
-
- The changes impose major obstacles to the creation of Indigenous and
- naturally protected areas. This jeopardizes the G7 Pilot Program for the
- Conservation of Brazilian Tropical Forest (to which the G7 countries have
- pledged $250 million, including substantial funds for Indian land demarcation
- and creation of portected areas), the Rondonia Natural Resource Management
- Program ($167 million), and the Mato Grosso Natural Resource Management
- Program ($205 million), both financed by the World Bank. Collor, in a
- desperate scramble to stay in power in the face of rising public outrage, has
- turned his back on major international commitments.
-
- FAX, TELEX, OR WRITE: and (in US)
- Ilmo. Sr. Fernando Collor de Mello Ambassador Rubens Ricupero
- Presidente da Republica Brazilian Embassy
- Palacio do Planalto 3006 Massachussets Ave. N.W.
- 70.150 Brasilia D.F. Washington D.C. 20008
- Brasil fax- 202 745 2728
- telex - 611088, fax - 55 61 226 7566
-
- A letter sent by various US environmental groups follows:
-
-
- August 14, 1992
-
- Fernando Collor de Mello
- Presidente da Republica
- Palacio do Planalto
- 70.150 Brasilia, D.F.
- Brasil
-
- Dear Mr. President:
-
- It has come to our attention that your government has substantially
- changed procedures for the demarcation of Indian lands and the creation of
- environmental conservation areas. We are gravely concerned by the
- implications of these changes for the environment and indigenous peoples'
- rights in Brazil.
-
- On July 15, 1992 the Secretary General of the Presidency of the
- Republic, Ambassador Marcos Coimbra, issued "Aviso no. 745", on your order.
- The memo informs the Secretary of Environment and the Minister of Justice
- that thenceforth the creation of new environmentally protected areas and the
- demarcation of Indian lands is conditioned on the views of the chiefs of staff
- of the armed forces (Estado Maior das Forcas Armadas); the National
- Department of Mineral Production (DNPM); the national electrical power
- company (Eletrobras); and the Brazilian Agricultural Research Company
- (EMBRAPA).
-
- Our organizations strongly supported your action in favor of the
- demarcation of the Yanomami Indian territory. We further supported your
- government's proposals for concessional assistance for the Pilot Program for
- the Conservation of Brazilian Tropical Forest presented to the Group of Seven
- Economic Summit in June of 1991. We appealed vigorously to our
- government for the allocation of scarce US resources to this program in a
- time of severe budgetary constraints, and urged our European colleagues to
- do the same. The "Coimbra memo" gravely threatens the integrity of the G7
- Pilot Program. It also compromises the feasibility of two regional land use
- zoning programs, for which your government has undertaken substantial
- international commitments--the Rondonia Natural Resource Management
- Program and the Mato Grosso Natural Resource Management Program, both
- financed by the World Bank.
-
- Brazilian nongovernmental groups affirm that the intent of the Coimbra
- memo is unconstitutional on various grounds. They further note that the
- memo is an administrative act devoid of legal status, and not subject to even
- the minimal public scrutiny permitted by official publication.
-
- Our organizations have repudiated illegal efforts by the executive branch
- of our government to circumvent environmental legislation and subvert the
- public right to know of and participate in government decisions. We are
- working closely with the Congress to put a halt to such abuses. We
- unconditionally support our Brazilian colleagues in their opposition to this
- similar attack on the environment, indigenous peoples, and democratic
- process in Brazil.
-
- Sincerely,
-
-
- Bruce Rich Stephan Schwartzman
- Director, International Program Senior Scientist
- Environmental Defense Fund Environmental Defense Fund
-
- On Behalf of:
-
- Barbara J. Bramble Angela O. Harkavy
- Director, International Program United Nations Coordinator
- National Wildlife Federation National Wildlife Federation
-
- Larry Williams Glenn Prickett
- Washington Director Senior Associate
- International Program International Program
- Sierra Club Natural Resources Defense
- Council
- David Downes
- Attorney
- Center for International
- Envionmental Law
-
- cc:
-
- Ambassador Rubens Ricupero
- David Mulford - Treasury Department
- Bernard Aronson - Department of State
- ** End of text from cdp:gen.nativenet **
-