Federal operation targets illegal mining on indigenous land in Pará
A criminal group exploiting illegal mining in the Munduruku indigenous territory, in the state of Pará, was targeted by the Federal Police this weekend.
The agents worked together with other security forces to protect the territory home to over 9 thousand people, in the municipalities of Jacareacanga and Itaituba, close to the border with the states of Mato Grosso and Amazonas.
The police crackdown was coordinated by office of the president’s chief of staff, with the participation of 20 federal agencies, and was ordered by the Supreme Court.
Since November 9, equipment used in criminal activities has been seized and destroyed. Law enforcement also issued infraction notices and interdictions, and seized fuel.
Also in November, the Ministry of Health’s Secretariat for Indigenous Health provided assistance to indigenous children whose health had been aggravated by exposure to mercury, a chemical element used in mining that is highly toxic to the nervous system. The initiative mobilized professionals from Harvard University in the US, the Osvaldo Cruz Foundation, and the University of São Paulo.
The Munduruku indigenous territory was demarcated 20 years ago and is one of the areas most impacted by illegal mining, deforestation, and river contamination by mercury.
