Politicians are invaders of indigenous land in Pará, says MPF – 10/25/2023 – Environment

The Apyterewa Indigenous Land, the most deforested in the country, has as invaders a former vice-mayor of São Félix do Xingu (PA), a technician who once headed a unit of Emater (Technical Assistance and Rural Extension Company) in Pará and large breeders who supplied cattle directly —from farms in the traditional territory— to large slaughterhouses in the country, according to what is stated in complaints presented by the MPF (Federal Public Ministry) to the Federal Court on the 20th.

In total, 31 criminal actions and 17 public civil actions detail the alleged illegal creation and sale of cattle by farms located on indigenous land, without the necessary licenses, a business that handled 48,800 heads of cattle.

The defendants allegedly committed the crime of invading Union land and carrying out a potentially polluting service without authorization from an environmental agency, in accordance with the actions of the MPF in Pará.

The complaints were based on the Adepará system (Agricultural Defense Agency of the State of Pará) and on animal transit guides issued for the movement of cattle.

Since the 2nd, the federal government has been promoting actions to remove invaders from the Apyterewa and Trincheira Bacajá indigenous lands, in Pará. To this end, a task force is trying to put an end to a village that emerged in the first territory, with churches, bars, restaurants , gas station and hotel.

Strong political pressure from the Lula (PT) government is trying to stop deintrusion. The pressure is exerted by city halls such as São Félix do Xingu (PA), where Apyterewa is located, by parliamentarians and members of the government of Pará.

This movement attempts to erase the existence of more than 700 Parakanã indigenous people who live on Apyterewa land, where invaders have already cut down more than 100,000 hectares of Amazon forest. More than 70 thousand hectares became pasture, according to data cited in the MPF complaints.

“The evolution of deforestation is directly related to land grabbing and extensive livestock farming”, stated the public prosecutors.

The federal government, faced with resistance from invaders, established a deadline for voluntary departure, with goods and livestock: until the 31st. The statement states that the court decision determines immediate withdrawal, but that there will be a deadline — of almost a month in total—for families to leave indigenous lands.

A registry of squatters has been carried out by teams from Incra (National Institute of Colonization and Agrarian Reform). The deintrusion is expected to last 90 days, with actions remaining to prevent the return of invaders.

Among those reported to court by the MPF is Cleidimar Gama Rabelo, Cleidi Capanema, who was deputy mayor of São Félix do Xingu from 2013 to 2016. According to the criminal accusation, she is the owner of Sítio Capanema, within the Apyterewa land, and illegally carried out livestock farming in the territory.

Animal transit guides, cited in the complaint, show that Cleidimar moved 1,859 heads of cattle “from the area illegally occupied on indigenous land.” Of this total, 94 went to rural properties owned by Marfrig Global Foods, on July 30 and 31, 2019.

Cleidimar did not respond to the report’s questions.

In a statement, Marfrig, which describes itself as a global leader in hamburger production and the second largest beef producer in the world, stated that it had identified the supply of cattle from Sítio Capanema in its database in August 2019.

“At the time, the property was fully regular and compliant with the socio-environmental commitments assumed by the company.” Marfrig also said that it does not purchase animals from properties located on indigenous lands, “under any circumstances”.

“The company has not originated in Pará since it closed its operations in the state in March 2020. The company reiterated its commitments to have a 100% traceable and deforestation-free supply chain.”

Another invader of indigenous land, according to the MPF, would be Quesede Teixeira Teles. The complaint says that he is a tenant of Fazenda Pontal Nova Vida, from where 280 head of cattle left for other properties.

Teles was previously head of the Emater office in Ourilândia do Norte (PA), according to an act published in the Official Gazette of Pará in August 2020.

Emater did not respond to the report’s questions.

A third complaint from the MPF accuses cattle rancher Derly dos Santos Ramiro of crimes, “one of the most influential farmers in Vila Renascer”, according to one of the deintrusion bulletins released by the federal government. The village is the one that the government task force is trying to deconstitute, as it was built illegally within indigenous land.

Ramiro was arrested on the 3rd, for illegal possession of a firearm. According to the MPF complaint, he is named as the owner of Fazenda Dois Irmãos, within Apyterewa land.

In ten years, 17 animal transit guides were issued by Ramiro for the movement of 2,001 heads of cattle to other farms, the complaint states. Of this total, 16 animals were destined for a rural property belonging to FriGol SA, on August 29, 2013.

FriGol claims to be one of the five largest slaughterhouses in the country, with more than 450,000 cattle per year. The company claims to export to more than 60 countries and have annual gross revenue of R$3.7 billion.

“There is a blatant mistake by the MPF,” said lawyer Vinicius Borba, who defends Ramiro in Federal Court. “A Funai resolution listed settlers in bad faith and included him, but he is not an agrarian reform settler. Furthermore, the possession predates the creation of indigenous land.”

The lawyer said the cattle sold were not “via illegal ranching”. Regarding the arrest for illegal possession of a firearm, the client paid bail and was released, according to the defender. Ramiro remains in indigenous land, according to Borba.

“FriGol is charged with acquiring animals for slaughter demonstrated through an animal transit guide that never passed through the company,” said the slaughterhouse, in a statement. “In consultation with Adepará on 10/23/2023, it was observed that the guide has the status ‘in transit’, showing that it was not received by the company.”

The slaughterhouse purchased cattle from another alleged invader of Apyterewa land, Juscelino Moreira, according to a report on the Repórter Brasil website in September 2022. Moreira was also denounced by the MPF. He used a farm outside the territory for sale, according to Repórter Brasil. The report did not locate the producer or his defense.

“At the time, the farm had no irregularities in the monitoring system for direct suppliers,” stated FriGol. “Aware that there is a need for the sector to evolve in indirect monitoring, FriGol defends the need for a national public policy on individual cattle monitoring.”

Among those denounced by the MPF are also two cattle suppliers to Haras and Parque de Vaquejada Dirceu Remor, as mentioned in the accusations: Cipriano Brito and Dorivan Dutra. Their farms on indigenous land sent 26 head of cattle to the vaquejada park, according to the MPF complaint.

The report did not locate the two accused or their defenses. The Remor group’s lawyer, Henrique Éboli, said he did not know whether the park is part of the group. “From what I know of the family group, they do not agree with illegality in any form and vehemently repudiate such acts.”

The MPF also denounced Antônio Borges Belfort as an invader of indigenous land. The federal government, in a bulletin on deintrusion, named Belfort —who was once a candidate for councilor in São Félix do Xingu— as the farmer responsible for keeping an employee in a situation similar to slavery.

“The worker was found on the property, where he had been providing services for around 45 days without receiving any salary and living in degrading conditions”, cites a bulletin from the 4th. The report did not locate Belfort or his defense.

The rancher also supplied cattle from the farm on indigenous land to large slaughterhouses, according to a report by Repórter Brasil in June 2020.