Brazil gov't to revoke decree abolishing mineral reserve

President Michel Temer decided to revoke the decree abolishing the National Copper Reserve and Associates (RENCA). Late in August, the president had signed a decree abolishing the area. The decision was questioned by environmentalists and artists and reverberated internationally. A new decree, revoking the first one, will be enacted tomorrow (Sep. 26).

Early in September, the government had suspended the effects of the fiercely criticized measure. Temer's allies argued the effects of the decision had been made little clear.

Despite the move, the topic will still be discussed by the government. The next step will be a referendum, still to be given a date.

The reserve was created in 1984 under João Figueiredo, the last president in Brazil's military rule. The territory had been originally given 47 thousand square kilometers, wedged in the Amazon between the states of Pará and Amapá, in the north.

Since then, mining research and the economic activity in the area have been under the responsibility of the Brazilian Company for Mineral Resources (CPRM) and other firms authorized by it. In addition to copper, geological studies have found gold, manganese, iron and other minerals in the area.

Two days after the decree abolished the reserve, the government issued a note saying the goal of the decision was to “prevent illegal exploration” and restore the role of the state as the administrator of the mines, which have suffered from the doings of illegal gold miners.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira