Prospectors Flee Yanomami Land in Fear of Police and Head for Guianas

Folha follows a day of escape by invaders, who need to make the journey by land and water, and observes the frustration and desire to reach mines in neighboring countries

Feb.14.2023 1:07PM

Lalo de Almeida
Vinicius Sassine

ALTO ALEGRE (RR)
Prospectors holed up in the bush. Boats were dragged into the waters of the Uraricoera River to be concealed. Trucks backed up. It was a false alarm. There was no helicopter approaching. The fear was of yet another action by Ibama (Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources) and the federal police forces to remove more than 20,000 invaders from the Yanomami Indigenous Land.

An operation has been ongoing for a week. The clandestine port went again from chaos to confusion in a matter of minutes and resumed its climate of flight and exodus, which has become more and more intense in recent days. The prospectors went on their way back, after months or years of predatory activity in the largest indigenous land in Brazil.



Alto Alegre, RR. 12/02/2023. Exodus of poor prospectors from Yanomami land fears police and heads for the Guianas ( Foto: Lalo de Almeida/ Folhapress )

The port of Arame is today, the biggest warehouse for the escape by land and water for the thousands of prospectors who extract gold and cassiterite in the indigenous territory.

The saga continues in other multiple destinations. Folha experienced a day of escape, with the prospectors themselves.

More:
https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/internacional/en/brazil/2023/02/prospectors-flee-yanomami-land-in-fear-of-police-and-head-for-guianas.shtml