Geneva, Switzerland – As the UN meeting on business and human rights gets underway, André Karipuna, a young Indigenous community leader from the Brazilian Amazon, asked delegates for help.[1] [2] This is as Greenpeace Brazil today revealed that over 10.000 hectares of their Indigenous territory has already been destroyed; 80 percent in the last three years alone. The Karipuna, the Indigenist Missionary Council (CIMI) and Greenpeace are demanding an end of threats to people and their forest in the Amazon.
“The weakening of environmental laws and land rights of Indigenous Peoples over the last years has put the Karipuna and other Indigenous communities in the Brazilian Amazon face to face with a powerful logging industry,” said Oliver Salge, Greenpeace Brazil project leader of the All eyes on the Amazon campaign. “Logging in protected areas far too often leads to violence for local communities. This serious threat to forest and people must stop immediately.”
The Karipuna Indigenous People are under ongoing attack from illegal loggers and land grabbers.[3] Between June and September of this year, 460 hectares have been deforested within the Karipuna territory. A protection plan from governmental authorities is needed, focusing on an end to the illegal invasion and threats against Brazil’s indigenous population and ending the impunity of those who destroy the rainforest and violate human rights. [4] Corporations and governments must be held accountable and make sure they do not invest in, or support, any further deforestation in the Amazon.
Greenpeace Brazil mapping experts analysed optical and radar satellite imagery and data generated by two research overflights in June and October 2018. It revealed forest destruction four times larger than official data suggests. [5] Following this finding, Greenpeace Brazil and the Indigenist Missionary Council (CIMI) filed a complaint including evidence of illegal activities to the federal prosecutor’s office of the province of Rondônia, which lead to a police raid the end of September.
“Indigenous Peoples and local communities are key to protect the remaining rainforests which help to mitigate climate change impacts. We need to stand with them against the threats and intimidation by the logging industry and land grabbers and make sure the Amazon, as the largest remaining rainforest, is not destroyed forever,” added Salge. [6]
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Images of the research overflight can be downloaded here.
Notes to editors:
[1] The fourth session of the open-ended intergovernmental working group on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights
[2] Twenty years after the official recognition of their land, the Karipuna Indigenous People in the province of Rondônia face more illegal deforestation than ever before as satellite images shows.
[3] Greenpeace Brazil, CIMI and the Karipuna found evidence in September 2018 that land parcels within the Karipuna territory have been marked for sale.
[4] Read the report about violence against Indigenous Peoples here.
[5] PRODES is the official system of the Brazilian government to detect deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest.
[6] Further reading about violence against Indigenous Peoples can be found here.
Contacts:
Oliver Salge, All eyes on the Amazon project leader at Greenpeace Brazil: phone: +55 11 970 99 7674, [email protected]
Christine Gebeneter, All eyes on the Amazon int. communication manager at Greenpeace Netherlands: [email protected] , +31 (0)6 39 01 09 82
Patricia Bonilha, All eyes on the Amazon communication manager at Greenpeace Brazil: +55 61 99643-8307, [email protected]
Greenpeace International Press Desk: +31 (0) 20 718 2470, [email protected] (available 24 hours)