Brazilian Yanomami indigenous territory faces less mining, hunger
Over the past two years, public authorities and civil organizations have waged a daily battle against gold miners invading Yanomami territory, helping to address the humanitarian crisis in Brazil’s largest indigenous reserve, which is home to 376 communities and approximately 33,000 people.
As a result, mining areas within the nearly 10-million-hectare indigenous land in the states of Amazonas and Roraima, in northern Brazil, have been reduced by 91 percent.
Additionally, the Brazilian government reports a 95.76 percent decrease in the expansion of new illegal mining areas. These mines contaminate rivers, deplete natural resources for local populations, and, in addition to creating a public health crisis, have become a security threat to the region’s communities.
In 2024 alone, over 3,000 operations were conducted to combat illegal activities, with military and civilian personnel involved on a daily basis.
In response to the region's humanitarian crisis, more than 114,000 food baskets were distributed, and BRL 1.7 billion in extraordinary credits were allocated. These joint efforts led to a 68 percent reduction in deaths from malnutrition in the first half of 2024 compared to 2023.
Protection actions
According to a special report by the program Caminhos da Reportagem on TV Brasil, a public broadcaster, mining expanded to over 5,000 hectares by the end of 2023, marking a 7 percent increase compared to the previous year.
In response, the federal government established the Casa de Governo (Government House) in March of last year to coordinate efforts to protect the Yanomami. The operations involve personnel from various security forces, and even in cases of detected criminal activity, actions have been conducted around the clock.
“People are also patrolling at dawn. The goal is to create challenges for those financing [the mining], making it so costly that they begin to feel the impact in their pockets. Eventually, they’ll think, ‘It’s no longer worth it, I’m starting to lose money,’” explains Nilton Tubino, head of the Government House, in an interview with the program.
With each operation, camouflaged and hidden structures supporting illegal mining activities are discovered, as inspection efforts intensify. According to Tubino, finding these illegal mining structures often requires walking nearly 10 kilometers into the forest.
Challenges
Gilmara Fernandes, coordinator of the Indigenous Missionary Council, believes that criminal activities have significant financial and logistical resources that must be addressed. “[There has been] progress, but many challenges remain,” she stated in the report.
Junior Yanomami, president of the Yanomami and Ye'Kwana District Health Council, reported receiving information that the invaders` entry into the community is now under control. “There are still some points, but not many.” In his view, the water quality is improving.
Given the results, Minister for Indigenous Peoples Sonia Guajajara also believes that the efforts must be ongoing, as the consequences of the prospectors` activities are severe for the people:
“We must maintain this presence. We are confident that by the end of this government, we will have reclaimed this territory...I won’t say it will be 100 percent restored, but it will be 100 percent free of these invaders.”
Results
In the past year alone, 159 people were arrested, over 30 kilograms of gold were seized, 410 camps dismantled, and 50 clandestine airstrips destroyed. Today, low-altitude flights no longer go unnoticed, thanks to the radar system installed on the indigenous land.
The Brazilian government also announced a 27 percent decrease in deaths during the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. The number of fatalities dropped from 213 to 155, with significant reductions in deaths from malnutrition (-68%), respiratory infections (-53%), and malaria (-35%).
Another measure, according to the government, was the enhancement of nutritional surveillance for children under 5, which included intensifying the active search for patients and increasing access to services.
Additionally, with expanded access to diagnostic services, the number of malaria tests increased by 73 percent in the first half of 2024, while reported cases rose from 14,450 to 18,310. With timely diagnoses, health teams were able to administer appropriate treatments, leading to a 35 percent reduction in malaria-related deaths.
