Rumor spread that gold existed in the Madeira River, the main tributary of the Amazon River. Then, hundreds of rafts with illegal miners began to focus on him, at a point near the city of Manaus (Brazil).
The boats began to gather about two weeks ago in Autazes, which is located 120 kilometers from Manaus, when the rumor began to circulate that there was gold in the river. All these mobilizations They set off the alarms in the Public Prosecutor’s Office and in the Federal Police.
A total of 168 boats destroyed or burned
According to the Brazilian Federal Police, the authorities destroyed 61 rafts who were in the last days on the Madeira River. One person ended up detainedAy, she was transferred to the Manaus jail. The rafts were abandoned and some had gold and mercury. In addition, 38 boats and 69 dredgers were burned.
The Federal Police issued a statement on Wednesday night in which it reported that “became aware of the illegal activities that are happening, with the presence of several rafts that would be promoting the illegal activity of mining“.
Environmental repercussions
Illegal mining activity is known in Brazil as ‘garimpo‘, and the illegal miners, called’garimpeiros‘, they fled the place before the arrival of the authorities and after the repercussion of the action with photos published by the press.
Gold is the main metal sought by the “garimpo“, with 86%, while illegal mining is one of the main causes of deforestation in the Amazon, which lost about 8,500 square kilometers of rainforest in 2020
About 600 rafts of illegal garimpeiros are destroyed or Rio Madeira agora. Isso pertinho from duas Terras Indígenas do povo Mura. At the moment we are only 300 inspection agents available to work in EVERYTHING or country. This is the size of the buraco that we are angry. pic.twitter.com/gqqJwkrM43
– AAF Wallace Lopes (@wallacerrlopes) November 24, 2021
The inhabitants of the region also fear for their health with the eventual mercury contamination (used by the mining activity) of the fish they consume and for the environmental damage against the river fauna. As stated on November 25 to RT Danicley de Aguiar, spokesperson for Greenpeace’s Amazon campaign, the situation is “Completely out of control.”
