"Death Bill" To Allow Brazil To Expropriate Native Lands For Mining Moving Right Along

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President Bolsonaro has demanded the legislation be treated as a priority by Arthur Lira, the new speaker of the lower house of Congress. Lira received 200,000 reais ($35,800) in donations from Rico Táxi Aéreo, an air charter company that flies prospectors into and out of the Amazon, and also provides private jets for Lira’s own travels.

With the government pushing for it, and Lira overseeing its deliberations in Congress, the official authorization for the exploitation of Indigenous land, attempted by the industry since the mid-1990s, appears to be imminent — although the case may still go to the Supreme Federal Court. The bill maintains a requirement for consultation with Indigenous communities, but critics, who have dubbed it the “death bill,” say this will be a mere symbolic consultation. Indigenous peoples will not have veto power over mining projects in their territories, they say.

Anglo American omitted any mention of this in its Jan. 25 response to APIB and Amazon Watch. In what appears to be an indirect reference to Bill 191, it said that “when legislative change is considered that could affect Indigenous Peoples, we advocate that it is done in consultation with the relevant communities and that their consent is secured.” “We believe that such consultations should appreciate the complexity and diversity of communities, and that their aspirations may differ, with some communities welcoming mining and others deciding against it,” it added.

Anglo American would not be the only beneficiary of the passage of this bill; thousands of applications have been filed with the ANM by small, medium and large mining companies to begin exploring on Indigenous lands.

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https://news.mongabay.com/2021/03/anglo-american-wont-rule-out-mining-on-indigenous-lands-in-the-amazon/