Alckmin defends potassium exploration in the Amazon – 05/04/2023 – Environment

The vice-president and Minister of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services, Geraldo Alckmin (PSB), publicly defended the exploitation of the potassium reserve in non-demarcated indigenous territory traditionally used by the Mura people, in Amazonas.

Alckmin’s defense of mining in the region took place at a meeting of the CAS (Administrative Council of Suframa – Superintendence of the Free Zone of Manaus) at the end of March. According to the Federal Justice of Amazonas, which suspended the licensing of the activity in the area, the lands have been used by the indigenous people for about two centuries.

In the speech, Alckmin said that the mine in Amazonas “could be one of the biggest investments in the country” and represents the possibility of Brazil no longer importing 98% of the potassium, used as fertilizer in the production of agribusiness.

On the same day, March 24, before going to Manaus, the vice-president met with the Minister of Mapa (Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock), Carlos Fávaro (PSD), to discuss the National Fertilizer Plan.

By appointment of President Lula (PT), Alckmin assumed the presidency of Confert (National Council of Fertilizers and Plant Nutrition). Fávaro also defends the exploitation of the reserve in the municipality of Autazes (AM). Both received the president of Potássio do Brasil, Adriano Espeschit, at the beginning of March to discuss the project.

“Brazil is the biggest food exporter in the world. We need a fertilizer industry. We import 98% of the potash. And potash is Amazonas, is Autazes. We will work hard to solve the legal problem”, stated Alckmin at the CAS event .

“It is not possible to take five years to discuss whether competence belongs to Ibama or Ipaam [órgão ambiental do governo do Amazonas]”, he completed.

In the speech, the vice president also associated mining with the wealth of municipalities.

“I wanted to highlight one thing, about the importance of mining — mining well done, legal, respecting the environment. I ask you: which is the richest municipality?”, he said.

“It’s not in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais or Paraná. The highest GDP per capita in Brazil is in Canaã dos Carajás, in Pará. Mining. R$ 480 thousand GDP per capital year. Per person, per year. You Divide it by 12, it’s R$40,000 each. Obviously, unfortunately, it’s not the same. But it’s impressive.”

In August 2020, the MPF of Pará recommended that Incra investigate the irregular purchase of land reform lots for the implementation of the mining project in Canãa dos Carajás.

After Alckmin’s defense of mining, the governor of Amazonas, Wilson Lima (União Brasil), reproduced a speech used in events with former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL).

“We need to diversify activities in the Manaus Free Trade Zone and reconcile them with the resources we have, such as natural gas and potash from Autazes. The reserve has the capacity to supply 25% of Brazil’s potash for 30 years, apart from the others already discovered in the our region,” he said.

Senator Omar Aziz (PSD), at the same event, expanded his defense of mining for the legalization of gold exploration.

“I disagree with President Lula in relation to mining exploration. See what is happening today and it will not stop. You can arrest them, you can set fire to them and it will not end. President Alckmin, the Japurá is a river that has two municipalities, Maraã and Japurá. Do you know how many kilos of gold they are taking a month and sending from Japurá to Venezuela? 500 kilos”, he said.

“These finite riches that are taken from the Amazon — and there is no investment for us, only depredation — could very well, with a sustainable law, be able to take it and help the population that needs it most in the interior.”

In the Bolsonaro government, the licensing of the Autazes potassium reserve passed from Ibama to Ipaam (Amazon Environmental Protection Institute), which is contested by the MPF-AM. This year, Jaiza Fraxe, judge of the 1st Court of the Federal Judiciary Section of Amazonas, determined that Ibama and Funai should comment on the case and its possible competences.

Ipaam, the Amazonian environmental agency for issuing licenses, has as its CEO Juliano Valente, son-in-law of the PT-AM president and state deputy Sinésio Campos, defender of mining, including in indigenous lands. Last year, Sinésio even declared that Bolsonaro “was only at this for three years” and he for more than two decades.

During the campaign for the Presidency, last year, in an interview with Radio Difusora do Amazonas, Lula said he was against mining in the Amazon, but that he could discuss the subject.

“I, honestly, don’t think we need to mine in the Amazon, if there is any ore that is essential for the country, let’s discuss it. With Brazilian society, with the people of the Amazon, with the National Congress and do something of the greatest seriousness involving Brazilian society. Because we cannot joke about destroying the Amazon.”

The licensing of ore used in fertilizers —products that went through a crisis with the Ukraine War— was suspended by the Federal Court in September. The decision was confirmed by TRF1 (Federal Regional Court of the 1st Region).

The decisions meet the request of the MPF of Amazonas and indicate that there is evidence that the company Potássio do Brasil develops activities in the Soares/Urucurituba Indigenous Land, not demarcated due to the slowness of Funai (National Foundation of Indigenous Peoples), which delayed the process during the Bolsonaro government.

Judge Jaiza Fraxe, in her decision in September, using historical documents from the Cabanagem era —a popular revolt, led by the Mura, who defended the independence of the region during the Empire—, points out that the group lives in the Soares/Urucurituba Indigenous Land , in Autazes, since 1838. The communities are located where Potássio do Brasil wants to exploit the ore.

When contacted by the report, Potássio do Brasil says that “all of the company’s future operations are outside homologated and delimited indigenous lands”.

The company also states that it has socioeconomic and environmental mitigation projects for the region and that it is guided by sustainability. The company says that compensation is foreseen for the traditional populations, which, according to the daughter-in-law, were heard before the prior license was granted.

Questioned about Alckmin’s statements, the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples stated, in a note, that any exploratory activity close to indigenous territories must be guided by listening to them, as advocated by Convention 169 of the ILO (International Labor Organization).

“If there is no regulation for this practice, this is therefore considered an illegal activity”, says the folder.

Funai, for its part, says that the court decision for the demarcation of the indigenous land is already being complied with, with a team in the field at the moment. After the evaluation in the community, according to the municipality, studies will be carried out to delimit the area.

Also wanted, the MMA (Ministry of Environment and Climate Change) claims that Ibama is analyzing the decision of the Federal Court on the competence of the licensing “to issue a statement in court”.

The report also contacted Mapa, Ipaam and MPF-AM to comment on the case, but there was no response until publication.

_{The Planeta em Transe project is supported by the Open Society Foundations.}