Well, the indigenous people have been well known for their preservation of the environment. This they do for their own well being, culturally and physically according to their own customs and traditions. Unfortunately, due to capitalism and self interest, the powerful people between brackets have been entering to these fertile territories for the production of rice and the rearing of cattle. When the Brazilian government came to the sense of what was happening, it passed the law of the demarcation of these territories in the country. Unfortunately the time passed with nothing being taken into account. Out of almost 565 territories, only 349 territories were registered and 49 homologados.
The main reason for the demarcation of these territories was to assure the rights of the indigenous people to their own lands which serves as breadwinner and source of living for them. Therefore this demarcation establishes enough area for their own production and consequently, only the indigenous are allowed to inhabit these lands by the Brazilian constitution.
Unfortunately, one of the greatest injustices to the indigenous people in Brazil is the omission by the state in the fulfillment of this obligation constitutional. This negligence along the many decades has been the main cause of the conflicts involving the indigenous and the invaders. This has been very evident in one of our Consolata parishes in Raposa Serra do Sol in Roraima. For example, some indigenous have been killed, some of our missionaries have been kidnapped and church building has been burnt by the invaders.
Remembering also that the region of Amazonia is one of the region along the boundaries with Venezuela, Columbia, Chile and knowing the reality of trafficking of drugs, firearms, petroleum, human beings and children prostitutions, always leaves this region under many threats. Apart from these challenges, there are also some projects of the law that permeate in the national congress that always affects the indigenous. For example, mining, the construction of big power stations and military training institutes which always leaves some questions in quotes about the future of the rights of the population that’s lives in these areas.
The region of Roraima received with a lot of happiness the news that the invaders are now to be removed from these reserves up to 30 of April this year. It is our hope that everything will be done in order and in peace. These communities are ready to collaborate together with the authorities. According to the supreme tribunal federal, the invaders and the others who are not indigenous in this reserve of Raposa Serra do Sol (Roraima) have to leave this reserve up to 30 of April this year. This announcement was made on 25 of March by the minister of the supreme tribunal federal Carlos Ayres Britto. According to the minister, this time for leaving this territory should not go beyond the end of April.
According to the decision of the tribunal, 19 thousands indigenous from five ethnic groups will live in an area of 1.7million hectares localized in the division with Venezuela and Guiana. For the indigenous to occupy these territories, they need to fulfill 19 conditions imposed by the tribunal with the impediment of mineral exploration and liberation for the entry of the armed forces for the sake of security at any particular moment without any resistance and permission from the indigenous leadership. Despite these conditions, we can say that it’s a step forward for this region.
