The Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Marina Silva, said this Monday (17th) that she found a dismantling of environmental inspection in the country.
According to the minister, the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) currently has 700 employees to monitor compliance with environmental law across the country. When participating in a seminar on the rights of indigenous peoples, at the Superior Court of Justice (STJ), Marina said that, in 2008, when she headed the portfolio, she left Ibama with 1,700 inspectors. This year, when returning to the command of the folder, she found only 700 servers.
“[No] Bolsonaro government, when we say scorched earth, [que] there was a dismantling, it really is a dismantling. It is with these inspectors that we are working. I’m glad we’ve already managed to get a tender for Ibama, ICMBio [Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade] and the ministry,” he said.
According to the minister, in the first three months of the government, it was possible to increase the number of apprehensions by 133% and environmental fines by 219%. The data were compared to those registered in the same period of the previous government.
“That means Democratic Rule of Law. Laws for the public benefit of the State”, said Marina Silva.
In the lecture, the minister also spoke about the work of removing illegal miners from indigenous lands. Marina reported that the teams that were on planes and ferries were attacked with gunfire. “It’s very difficult, because it’s a mixture of arms and drug trafficking,” she added.
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The president of the National Foundation for Indigenous Peoples (Funai), Joenia Wapichana, also participated in the seminar and defended the increased participation of indigenous peoples in society. For Joenia, indigenous peoples must have the right to participate in the decision-making process so that their ideas are heard.
“Today, we see in the Executive our participation in Funai and in the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples. This also gives us the next step, which would be here in the Judiciary, the indigenous presence, which is the next challenge, having a minister on the Federal Supreme Court (STF). Who knows?” she said.
Joênia stated that Funai is interested in moving forward with land demarcation processes, but stressed that it has been bumping into court decisions that increase conflicts in the countryside.
“Many actions are paralyzing these processes, with the absurd thesis of a time frame, which is put on the table as if there were a precedent that is the traditional ownership of indigenous lands. Our own Constitution is clearer about the lands that indigenous peoples occupy: they are imprescriptible and inalienable”. he completed.
