Contents: News, Announcement of a War,Letters from the Occupation, #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 Help us!, #6, Gilberto Carvalho, Funai:(José Eduardo Cardozo, Marta Azevedo), News Updates, Media Devolution.
Sites: Blog, Indigenous Brazil, Cimi, Xingu Vivo, Stop Belo Monte, MPF/PA, Agência Brasil, Agência Pará, Altamira Hoje, ISA ...
Occupation of Belo Monte: The occupation began on May 2. English Google is full of the story just a few days later: Google News Search on 'Belo Monte' - I am not sure to what extent the parameters in the URL determine the outcome, 'English' and 'Canada' obviously (presumably interpreted from my own URL) but just a month or so ago this search would come up empty.(?)A (partly) English blog to bookmark: Tumblr: Stop Belo Monte by Maíra Irigaray of Amazon Watch; and her post on the troops/police & Sergio the flunkey lawyer sent by the government: Visit by lawyer Sergio.
I see that Valdenir Munduruku (mentioned in this blog before) is not the only strong leader among the occupiers - there are many, young and old. This is good.
The central source for information is Blog da Ocupação de Belo Monte.
For photographs: Munduruku Denuncia; and International Rivers.The government is ejecting reporters: Journalists fined and kept from entering occupied Belo Monte dam construction site in Brazil. Lunaé Parracho (Reuters), Ruy Sposati (CIMI), & François Cardona (RFI).
Watch this 2012 film, in English, and longish (an hour & 45 minutes), but worth it: Belo Monte Announcement of a War, or in Portuguese: Belo Monte: Anúncio de uma Guerra. The government claims 11 gigawatts for Belo Monte - the real number is 60% (or less) of that. The government claims it is a one-off - but their actual plan is for many many dams. The government has done this before in Tucuruí - and learned nothing from it apparently.
Why does it excite me? I know native motivations are complex and run from accepting bribes of various degrees to primarily wanting to protect and save the planetary ecosystem; but for some reason what I hear from Brazil puts them to the right on that scale from Theresa Spence and her diamond mine.But ... if I compare my superficial bourgeois hand-wringing nonsense with the balanced views of Barbara Zimmerman ... there's no comparison is there?
Oh well, I can cobble up some translations of the letters issued by the occupiers at least.
| Read the letters in their entirety: Source: Belo Monte Occupation blog (in Portuguese). Map showing Vitória do Xingu. | Leia os documentos dos indígenas na íntegra: Fonte: Blog da Ocupação de Belo Monte. |
| Letter #1, May 2 2013 (also at Cimi and Brasilianas). Letter about the Belo Monte Occupation | Carta no. 1, maio 2 2013 (também a Cimi e Brasilianas). Carta da ocupação de Belo Monte | |
| We are the people who live on the rivers where you want to build dams. We are Mundurukú, Juruna, Kayapo, Xipaya, Kuruaya, Asurini, Parakanã, Arara, fishermen and river-people. We are from Amazonia and want the forest standing. We are Brazilians. The river is our supermarket. Our ancestors are older than Jesus Christ. | Nós somos a gente que vive nos rios em que vocês querem construir barragens. Nós somos Munduruku, Juruna, Kayapó, Xipaya, Kuruaya, Asurini, Parakanã, Arara, pescadores e ribeirinhos. Nós somos da Amazônia e queremos ela em pé. Nós somos brasileiros. O rio é nosso supermercado. Nossos antepassados são mais antigos que Jesus Cristo. | |
| You are pointing guns at our heads. You raid our territories with soldiers and war machines. You make the fish disappear. You rob the bones of the old who are buried in our land. | Vocês estão apontando armas na nossa cabeça. Vocês sitiam nossos territórios com soldados e caminhões de guerra. Vocês fazem o peixe desaparecer. Vocês roubam os ossos dos antigos que estão enterrados na nossa terra. | |
| You do this because you are afraid to hear us. Afraid to hear that we do not want the dam. Afraid to understand why we do not want the dam. | Vocês fazem isso porque tem medo de nos ouvir. De ouvir que não queremos barragem. De entender porque não queremos barragem. | |
| You pretend we are violent and want war. Who kills our relatives? How many whites have died and how many Indians have died? It is you who are you killing us, quickly or bit by bit. We're dying and each dam kills more. And when we try to talk you bring tanks, helicopters, soldiers, machine-guns and stun guns. | Vocês inventam que nós somos violentos e que nós queremos guerra. Quem mata nossos parentes? Quantos brancos morreram e quantos indígenas morreram? Quem nos mata são vocês, rápido ou aos poucos. Nós estamos morrendo e cada barragem mata mais. E quando tentamos falar vocês trazem tanques, helicópteros, soldados, metralhadoras e armas de choque. | |
| What we want is simple: you need to regulate [make regulations for] the [existing] law governing prior consultation with indigenous peoples. Meanwhile you need to stop all works and studies and police operations in Rio Xingu, Tapajos and Teles Pires. And then you need to consult us. | O que nós queremos é simples: vocês precisam regulamentar a lei que regula a consulta prévia aos povos indígenas. Enquanto isso vocês precisam parar todas as obras e estudos e as operações policiais nos rios Xingu, Tapajós e Teles Pires. E então vocês precisam nos consultar. | |
| We want dialogue, but you are not letting us speak. This is why we occupied your jobsite. You need to stop everything and just listen to us. | Nós queremos dialogar, mas vocês não estão deixando a gente falar. Por isso nós ocupamos o seu canteiro de obras. Vocês precisam parar tudo e simplesmente nos ouvir. | |
| Vitória do Xingu, Para State, May 2 2013. | Vitória do Xingu (PA), 02 de maio de 2013. |
| Letter #2, May 3 2013 (also at Cimi and Brasil de Fato). On the agenda of our occupation of Belo Monte | Carta no. 2, maio 3 2013 (também a Cimi e Brasil de Fato). Sobre a pauta da nossa ocupação de Belo Monte | |
| We are not here to negotiate with the Belo Monte Construction Consortium. We are not here to negotiate with the utility company Norte Energia. We do not have a list of specific requests or claims for you. | Não estamos aqui para negociar com o Consórcio Construtor Belo Monte. Não estamos aqui para negociar com a empresa concessionária Norte Energia. Não temos uma lista de pedidos ou reivindicações específicas para vocês. | |
| We are here to dialogue with the government. To protest against the construction of large projects that permanently impact our lives. To require regulation of the law guaranteeing prior consultation - ie before study and construction! Finally, and most importantly, we occupy the jobsite to require that there be prior consultation about building projects on our lands, rivers and forests. | Nós estamos aqui para dialogar com o governo. Para protestar contra a construção de grandes projetos que impactam definitivamente nossas vidas. Para exigir que seja regulamentada a lei que vai garantir e realizar a consulta prévia - ou seja, antes de estudos e construções! Por fim, e mais importante, ocupamos o canteiro para exigir que seja realizada a consulta prévia sobre a construção de empreendimentos em nossas terras, rios e florestas. | |
| And for this the government needs to stop whatever it is doing. It needs to suspend work and studies on dams. It needs to remove the troops and cancel police operations in our land. | E para isso o governo precisa parar tudo o que está fazendo. Precisa suspender as obras e estudos das barragens. Precisa tirar as tropas e cancelar as operações policiais em nossas terras. | |
| The Belo Monte construction site is occupied and paralyzed. Workers living in dormitories support us and have made dozens of testimonials about problems living here. They are sympathetic to our cause. They understand us. Both they and we are at peace. Both they and we want workers to be taken to town. The Belo Monte Construction Consortium must enable workers to be removed for the short term and secure shelter for them in town. | O canteiro de obras Belo Monte está ocupado e paralisado. Os trabalhadores que vivem nos alojamentos nos apóiam e deram dezenas de depoimentos sobre problemas que vivem aqui. São solidários a nossa causa. Eles nos entendem. Tanto eles quanto nós estamos em paz. Tanto eles quanto nós queremos que os trabalhadores sejam levados para a cidade. O Consórcio Construtor Belo Monte precisa viabilizar a retirada dos trabalhadores a curto prazo e garantir abrigo para eles na cidade. | |
| We will not leave until the government pays attention to our claim. | Nós não sairemos enquanto o governo não atender nossa reivindicação. | |
| Belo Monte Jobsite, Vitória do Xingu, May 3, 2013. Signed by the native chiefs and leaders, fishermen and river-people of the occupation [?]. | Canteiro Belo Monte, Vitória do Xingu, 3 de maio de 2013. Assinam os indígenas caciques e lideranças, ribeirinhos e pescadores da ocupação pela consulta. |
| Letter #3, May 4 2013 (also at Maíra Irigaray). Let the journalists stay here! | Carta no. 3, maio 4, 2013 (também a Maíra Irigaray). Deixem os jornalistas aqui! | |
| Yesterday the government sent an aide to present a proposal to those of us who are occupying the construction site. Along with him came 100 military police, civil, federal, Shock Troops, Rotam (Ronda Tática Metropolitana) and National Forces. | Ontem o governo enviou um assessor para apresentar uma proposta a nós que estamos ocupando o canteiro de obras. Junto com eles vieram 100 policiais militares, civis, federais, Tropa de Choque, Rotam e Força Nacional. | |
| We do not want aides. We want to talk with people in the government who can decide. And without their armies. | Nós não queremos assessores. Queremos falar com a sua gente de governo que pode decidir. E sem seus exércitos. | |
| The aide wanted us to leave the jobsite, and that only a small group would speak with people in the ministry. We do not accept. We want them to come to the jobsite and talk to all of us together. | O funcionário queria que saíssemos do canteiro e que só uma pequena comissão falasse com gente de ministério. Nós não aceitamos. Nós queremos que eles venham para o canteiro e falem com todos nós juntos. | |
| Yesterday the court issued a preliminary injunction taking power only over whites. With this decision, the police and bailiff expelled two journalists who were filming and interviewing us, and fined a journalist 1,000R$´[$500 CAD]. And expelled an activist. | Ontem a Justiça expediu liminar de reintegração de posse apenas para os brancos. Com essa decisão, a polícia e o oficial de justiça expulsaram dois jornalistas que estavam nos entrevistando e filmando, e multaram um jornalista em mil reais. E expulsaram um ativista. | |
| News coverage helps a lot. We demand that the judge remove the injunction, not apply fines, and allow journalists, academics, volunteers and organizations to continue witnessing what we go through here, and help convey our voice to the world. | A cobertura jornalística ajuda muito. Nós exigimos que a juíza retire o pedido de reintegração de posse, não aplique multas e permita que jornalistas, acadêmicos, voluntários e organizações possam continuar testemunhando o que nós passamos aqui, e ajudar a transmitir nossa voz para o mundo. | |
| Belo Monte jobsite occupation, Vitória do Xingu, Saturday May 4, 2013. | Ocupação do canteiro de obras Belo Monte, Vitória do Xingu, Sábado, 4 de maio de 2013. |
| Letter #4, May 7 2013 (also at Maíra Irigaray & Blog da Ocupação - both in English). The government has lost its mind | Carta no. 4, maio 7, 2013 (também a Maíra Irigaray). O governo perdeu o juízo | |
| We read the note from the General Secretariat of the Presidency. | Nós lemos a nota da Secretaria Geral da Presidência da República. | |
| The government has lost its mind. Gilberto Carvalho is lying. The government is completely desperate. Do not know what to do about us. | O governo perdeu o juízo. Gilberto Carvalho está mentindo. O governo está completamente desesperado. Não sabe o que fazer com a gente. | |
| You are the bandits, rapists, manipulators, the insincere and dishonest. And still, we remain calm and peaceful. You do not. | Os bandidos, os violadores, os manipuladores, os insinceros e desonestos são vocês. E ainda assim, nós permanecemos calmos e pacíficos. Vocês não. | |
| You banned journalists and lawyers from entering the construction site, and even sitting members of your own government. | Vocês proibiram jornalistas e advogados de entrar no canteiro, e até deputados do seu próprio partido. | |
| You sent National Forces to say that the government will not talk with us. You sent people asking for wishlists. You militarized the area of occupation, search people who come and go, search our food, take pictures, intimidate and give orders. | Vocês mandaram a Força Nacional dizer que o governo não irá dialogar com a gente. Mandaram gente pedindo listas de pedidos. Vocês militarizaram a área da ocupação, revistam as pessoas que passam e vem, a nossa comida, tiram fotos, intimidam e dão ordens. | |
| We understand that it's easier to call us thugs and treat us like criminals. Looked atthat way, the discourse of Gilberto Carvalho might make some sense. | Entendemos que é mais fácil nos chamar de bandidos, nos tratar como bandidos. Assim o discurso do Gilberto Carvalho pode fazer algum sentido. | |
| But we are not criminals and you'll have to deal with it. | Mas nós não somos bandidos e vocês vão ter que lidar com isso. | |
| Our claims are based on constitutional rights. In the Federal Constitution and in international law. And we have the support of society and even the workers who work for you. | Nossas reivindicações são baseadas em direitos constitucionais. Na Constituição Federal, nas lesgislações internacionais. E temos o apoio da sociedade e até dos trabalhadores que trabalham para vocês. | |
| The government is getting more violent. As reported by the press, and also here at the jobsite with their army. | O governo está ficando mais violento. Nas palavras na imprensa, e também aqui no canteiro com seu exército. | |
| It is the government that does not want to cooperate with the law. And manœuvres to try to discredit our struggle, inventing stories for the press. | É o governo que não quer cooperar com a lei. E faz manobra para tentar desqualificar nossa luta, inventando histórias para a imprensa. | |
| Today makes six months since you murdered Adenilson Mundurukú. We know well how you act when you want something. | Hoje fazem seis meses que vocês assassinaram Adenilson Munduruku. Nós sabemos bem como vocês agem quando querem alguma coisa. | |
| The bad faith comes from Gilberto Carvalho. And despite that, we want him to come and talk with us at the jobsite. We are waiting for you, Gilberto. Stop sending police with guns in their hands to deliver empty proposals. Stop trying to humiliate us in the press. | A má-fé é do Gilberto Carvalho. E apesar de tudo, nós queremos que ele venha no canteiro dialogar conosco. Estamos esperando por você, Gilberto. Pare de mandar policiais com armas na mão para entregar propostas vazias. Pare de tentar nos humilhar na imprensa. | |
| We are on your jobsite and we will not leave until you leave our villages. | Nós estamos em seu canteiro e não iremos sair enquanto vocês não saírem das nossas aldeias. | |
| Belo Monte jobsite, Vitória do Xingu, May 7, 2013. | Belo Monte, Canteiro de obras, Vitória do Xingu, 7 de maio de 2013. |
| Letter #5, May 8 2013 (in English). We urgently need support | Carta no. 5, maio 8, 2013. Precisamos de apoio urgente | |
| Today we write to those who support us. Whoever believes in our struggle and agrees with our point of view. | Hoje escrevemos para quem nos apoia. Quem confia na nossa luta e concorda com nosso ponto de vista. | |
| We are the people who live on the rivers where they want to build dams. We are native people - Mundurukú, Juruna, Kayapo, Xipaya, Kuruaya, Asurini, Parakanã, Arara - fishermen and river-people. The river is our supermarket. Our ancestors are older than Jesus Christ. | Nós somos a gente que vive nos rios em que eles querem construir barragens. Nós somos Munduruku, Juruna, Kayapó, Xipaya, Kuruaya, Asurini, Parakanã, Arara, pescadores e ribeirinhos. O rio é nosso supermercado. Nossos antepassados são mais antigos que Jesus Cristo. | |
| We have now occupied the Belo Monte construction site for seven days. We are against the construction of huge projects that destroy our lives. We want dialogue with the government on this. But they do not want dialogue. | Ocupamos o canteiro de Belo Monte faz sete dias. Somos contra a construção de grandes obras que destroem nossa vida. Queremos dialogar com o governo sobre isso. Mas eles não querem. | |
| The law guaranteeing consultation before studies and construction has to be regulated. | Tem que ser regulamentada a lei que vai garantir e realizar a consulta prévia antes de estudos e construções. | |
| The government must stop all that it is doing. It must suspend work and studies on dams. It must take the troops out of our land. | O governo precisa parar tudo o que está fazendo. Precisa suspender as obras e estudos das barragens. Precisa tirar as tropas da nossa terra. | |
| They took the journalists and lawyers out of here. For five days only we have taken pictures inside the construction site. | Eles tiraram os jornalistas e os advogados daqui. Faz cinco dias que só nós tiramos fotos de dentro do canteiro. | |
| They want to intimidate us with many police. It is the National Forces [army] that is negotiating with us and they say that the government is not coming. The government also said in the newspaper that it is not coming. | Eles querem nos intimidar com muitos policiais. É a Força Nacional quem está negociando com a gente e falam que o governo não vem. No jornal o governo também disse que não vem. | |
| They are making it difficult to get food in. Neither nurse nor deputy [member of lower house] can enter here. We are worried about what may happen to us. | Estão dificultando a entrada de comida. Nem enfermeira nem deputado entra direito aqui. Estamos preocupados com o que pode vir a acontecer com nós. | |
| We need help. Organizations which disagree with the government's intimidation need to support the occupation - writing in public saying they are on our side. | Nós precisamos de ajuda. As organizações precisam apoiar a ocupação. Escrever em público dizendo que estão do nosso lado. Que não concordam com a intimidação do governo. | |
| Journalists need to continue talking to us, even if it is outside or by phone. We are very happy with all the coverage. | Os jornalistas precisam continuar falando com a gente, mesmo que seja do lado de fora ou por telefone. Estamos muito felizes com toda a cobertura. | |
| People need to support us; need to report on the Internet. You can also come and help if you cannot send a contribution through the Internet or a bank. | As pessoas precisam nos apoiar. Precisam denunciar na internet. Você também pode vir e ajudar, se não puder você pode mandar uma contribuição pela internet pelo banco. | |
| Caixa Econômica Federal [name of bank] Mutirão pela Cidadania [name of account, Collective action by Citizens] | Caixa Econômica Federal - Mutirão pela Cidadania | |
| Branch: 0551 – Account: 1532-7 – OP 003 – CNPJ: O1993646/0001-80 | Agencia: 0551 – Conta: 1532-7 – OP 003 – CNPJ: O1993646/0001-80 | |
| Any amount is very important to us. Help if you can. We are putting a lot of hope in this. | É muito importante para nós qualquer valor. Ajude se puder. Nós temos muita esperança dessa vez. | |
| Wednesday May 8, 2013, occupation of the Belo Monte jobsite. | Quarta, 8 de maio, 2013, ocupação do canteiro de Belo Monte. |
| Letter #6, May 10 2013, in English (and another translation by Maíra Irigaray). So that society may understand our occupation; the struggle continues | Carta n. 6, maio 10, 2013. Para a sociedade entender nossa ocupação; a luta continua | |
| For 8 days we occupied the main construction yard of the Belo Monte hydroelectric plant. We want prior consultation and since we were not consulted we want construction and studies for dams on the Xingu, Tapajos and Teles Pires rivers stopped. | Nós ocupamos por 8 dias o principal canteiro de obras da usina hidrelétrica Belo Monte. Queremos a consulta prévia e a suspensão de obras e estudos das barragens nos rios Xingu, Tapajós e Teles Pires, sobre as quais não fomos consultados. | |
| We were forced from the jobsite yesterday by a court judgement. | Nós fomos retirados ontem do canteiro por uma decisão judicial. | |
| During the occupation, you stopped people coming in, censored journalists, impeded lawyers, did not allow entry of charcoal for cooking our food. Cars with health workers were locked out and they had to come in on foot. You did not let us put up our radio to talk with our relatives, and our families were worried. | Durante a ocupação, vocês barraram pessoas, censuraram jornalistas, impediram advogados, não deixaram entrar carvão para cozinhar nossa comida. Carros com agentes de saúde fora bloqueados, tiveram que entrar a pé. Vocês não nos deixaram montar nosso rádio para falarmos com nossos parentes, e nossas famílias ficaram preocupadas. | |
| You besieged us with Military Police, Rotam, Shock Troops, National Forces, Federal Police, Civil Police, Army and Federal Highway Police the whole time. Managers and executives of Norte Energia and the Belo Monte Construction Consortium assailed, intimidated, and pressured us. | Vocês nos sitiaram com a Polícia Militar, Rotam, Tropa de Choque, Força Nacional, Polícia Federal, Polícia Civil, Exército e Polícia Rodoviária Federal o tempo todo. Gerentes e chefes da Norte Energia e Consórcio Construtor Belo Monte nos assediavam, intimidavam e pressionavam. | |
| You tried to smother us with lies in the press, threatening journalists and partners with intimidating phone calls. As always, you intimidated and manipulated our families, trying to pit us against one another. | Vocês tentaram nos sufocaram com mentiras na imprensa, com telefonemas pressionando e intimidando parceiros e jornalistas. Como sempre, vocês pressionaram e manipularam parentes nossos, tentando nos colocar um contra os outros. | |
| We are afraid of what could happen; already we have seen the deputy chief of the Federal Police (responsible for the report on which judge Selene Almeida's horrible decision was based) whose husband is the lawyer for Norte Energia, the very party trying to get us out of there. | Nós sentimos medo do que poderia acontecer, já que a delegada-chefe da Polícia Federal (responsável pelo relatório no qual foi baseada a decisão horrível da desembargadora Selene Almeida) é esposa do advogado da Norte Energia, autor da ação que queria nos retirar de lá. | |
| We were removed from the building site by a force even greater than the weapons of your army. Reintegration was not suspended. The court gave us 24 hours to leave the job site, and we only heard about it when we arrived in Altamira, escorted by Federal Police. | Nós fomos retirados à força do canteiro. Uma força maior ainda que a das armas do seu exército. A reintegração não foi suspensa. A Justiça deu 24 horas para sairmos do canteiro, e só soubemos disso quando chegamos em Altamira, escoltados pela Polícia Federal. | |
| Our departure was peaceful because we decided that it would be peaceful. It was clear that the government would do whatever was necessary to get us to leave. We left because we were forced. We waited a week for the government to arrive, and nothing. We understood then, that the government would never come - but would keep sending police. We saw the cops screeching their tires, fingering their guns and bombs and shields in front of us. We know what that means. | Nossa saída foi pacífica porque nós decidimos que ela fosse pacífica. Ficou claro que o governo faria o que fosse necessário fazer com a gente para nós sairmos. Saímos porque fomos obrigados. Nós esperamos uma semana a chegada do governo, e nada. Entendemos, então, que ele não iria vir de qualquer jeito – mas ia continuar mandando policiais. Nós víamos os policiais cantando pneu coçando suas armas e bombas e escudos na nossa frente. Sabemos o que isso significa. | |
| We left unsatisfied. | Nós saímos insatisfeitos. | |
| You tried to force our agenda to just be about a dam in the Tapajós River. Our struggle is with a dozen dams on three rivers, and it did not end because we were taken out of the construction site. | Vocês tentaram forçar nossa pauta como sendo apenas sobre uma hidrelétrica no rio Tapajós. Nossa luta se refere a uma dúzia de barragens nos três rios, e ela não acabou porque fomos retirados do canteiro. | |
| Our struggle is beginning again, and this is a victory. A victory that is ours alone - it did not come from the courts or the government. The government does not know how to govern natives. Things are bad in Brazil. We will change that. | Nossa luta está recomeçando, e isso é uma vitória. Uma vitória que é só nossa – não é da Justiça e nem do governo. O governo não sabe governar indígenas. As coisas estão ruins no Brasil. Nós vamos mudar isso. | |
| Altamira, May 10 2013. | Altamira, 10 de maio de 2013. |
Gilberto Carvalho: His role as secretary general of the presidency is to negotiate with the social organizations of civil society. Not a tall man.What the occupiers say he said - is about what he did say in this statement: "as condições apresentadas pelas autodenominadas lideranças mundurukus são insinceras e inaceitáveis" / the conditions presented by the self-appointed Munduruku leaders are insincere and unacceptable, and "essas pretensas lideranças mundurukus têm feito propostas contraditórias e se conduzido sem a honestidade" / these so-called Munduruku leaders have made contradictory proposals and conducted themselves without honesty.
Of course he is a competent politician, this conversation from February shows him well: Gilberto Carvalho tem diálogo tenso com índios contrários à usina de Teles Pires. The government must do what it does, the natives and the rest of us must be exterminated; it's that simple. Or is it? ... What if ... the 14 billion (of public money) for Belo Monte went to renewables?
The current runs from Dilma; partly through Gilberto Carvalho, the Secretaria-Geral da Presidência/cabinet secretary; and the Minister of Justice, José Eduardo Cardozo; to the Fundação Nacional do Índio (Funai) and its (current) president, Marta Maria do Amaral Azevedo. You can catch a glimpse of the previous Funai president, Márcio Meira, in the rightmost picture at the top; they all seem to have a haunted look. They don't always hold the position very long.There is a war between the 'bancada ruralista' which represents agribusiness (mining, logging, etc.), and anyone who can see the environmental writing on the wall. It was the ruralistas who gutted the Código Florestal/Forest Practices Code, who do not want to see the Terras Indigenas/Native Reservations expanded (or at all), who oppose legislation around slave labour and so on. Guess who's winning?
Marta Azevedo is an anthropologist, demographer, women's rights advocate ... Her opinions put her straight up against the ruralistas, and ... she loses, natürlich. There are rumours that she won't be Funai president for long - not because of the Belo Monte occupation in Pará state, but because of recent ructions over defining native lands in several other states (though the occupation didn't help her).[I'm making this up y'unnerstan', and guessing. And anyway, who gives a fuck about Marta? One more hand-wringing bourgeois left-lib who would be better off somewhere else; making quilts or digging in the garden.
The REAL problem is that these politicians & bureaucrats EXIST. That their governments exist. That the nations they govern and the cancerous cities in them exist. That they make decisions affecting us all - AT ALL. But of course I'm crazy so ... and none of the opinions here hold water (or anything else). Three or four billion may soon perish, maybe more, but probably not soon enough to end the scourge they and their masters initiated from making everything but blue-green algae extinct, and them too a bit later on, good chance of that. Ho hum. Cyanophyta baby!
Dunno what to do? Not enough TV & porn to download (that's either watchable or lookable) to keep me properly anaesthetized.
The closest I have felt to anyone lately is to the occupiers of Belo Monte, translating their letters. Careful translation, even if it's not very good, is an intimacy. You get a feel for how someone thinks, how they are thinking. Oh sure, they wanted health workers on-site but then again there were young children and pregnant women there too eh? Beyond that I did not pick up a whisper nor a tinge of any longing for diamond mines (like our Theresa Spence) but I could be wrong. They were asking for charcoal to be let in to cook their food with, not to be fed.
Long story eh?]
More to come here as the situation unfolds. Be well.
News going forward:
May 7:
Amazon Indians occupy controversial dam to demand a say.
May 8:
O preconceito institucionalizado do governo Dilma aos povos indígenas.
Jornalistas repudiam decisão que impede cobertura de Belo Monte.
May 9:
Força policial pode entrar a qualquer momento.
MPF quer continuidade das negociações com índios ..., reposted by Cimi.
The last (MPF) report indicates that negotiations were underway on the 8th at the jobsite with government parties - unclear with whom, maybe Funai & MPF - so the court order took everyone by surprise and the police seem to be holding off. Someone may have figgured out that the world is watching.
“We came in peace, we leave peacefully”, Cimi, May 9.
May 10:
Two short video interviews (I will see about sub-titles after a while) as the occupiers were leaving the construction yard on Thursday evening/night: Valdenir Munduruku, one of the leaders of the occupation; and Thaís Santi, a procuradora/prosecutor from MPF/PA.The videos are on the YouTube YouTube ISA channel from the Instituto Socioambiental (ISA). And another English site reporting these issues: Indigenous Brazil.
Media Devolution: Google serves up more hits from a 'Belo Monte' search than it used to, good; there are more English articles among the hits, also good; but unless I happen to know that Altino Machado writes for Terra (and value his opinions) and go there to look I miss these well-written articles:
Justiça determina reintegração ..., May 9; and,
Índios ocupam e paralisam obras ..., May 6.
Monga Bay reports Social media beating Google as a source of web site traffic, but if you have ever tried to leave a comment at Monga Bay you will know it is impossible to do so without involving Facebook so it could be a case of Ouroborus eating its own tail.
John Berger publishes Climate Myths: The Campaign Against Climate Science but if you are not willing to use Kindle or accept a 'Print on Demand' edition - then you may have to wait until an electronic hack shows up on BookOS or IsoHunt.
One very positive note: the people running the Blog da Ocupação de Belo Monte thoughtfully moderate the comments left on their site AND thank people for contributing translations. Imagine! Civil society operating on the Internet.
Canadian banks (specifically TD Bank) on the other hand will not cooperate in getting contributions to the Mutirão pela Cidadania/Collective action by Citizens account at the Caixa Econômica Federal in Brazil - this is no surprise, we know whose side the banks are on.
And Google is back to requiring a 'Brasil -Brazil' in its news searches if you want to see very much real coverage ... Oh well.
Down.
how long can I do without this Internet shit I wonder? probably not long ... have to find out the hard way I guess ... be well gentle reader.
