Brazil
BRAZIL SAYS VENEZUELA TO BLAME FOR MAJOR OIL SPILL ON BEACHES
10/14/2019
Update Volume
49
Update Issue
29

Since early September, 130 tons of oil sludge have polluted Brazil’s northeastern beaches. According to a report by Brazil’s state oil company Petrobras, the oil came from a boat from Venezuela navigating close to the coast. Brazilian environment minister Ricardo Salles supported this claim, stating the oil “very probably comes from Venezuela.” The oil has now reached 61 municipalities in nine Brazilian states, contaminating 130 beaches. Authorities say the oil has already killed ten turtles, and environmental experts fear the oil will continue to damage coral and marine life.

BRAZILIAN GOVERNMENT PROPOSES TO ALLOW MINING ON INDIGENOUS LAND
10/07/2019
Update Volume
49
Update Issue
28

On October 3, the Brazilian government announced plans to present a bill later this month that would allow building of mines on indigenous lands. The bill would also look to legalize independent mines that are currently operating illegally. This past July, the Ministry of Mines and Energy announced the creation of a working group to simplify the mining process. Critics of conservative President Jair Bolsonaro’s mining policies have stated that opening indigenous lands for mining, logging, and farming helped fuel this year’s Amazon fires.

BRAZIL’S BOLSONARO PUSHES BACK ON CRITICISM OVER AMAZON FIRES
08/26/2019
Update Volume
49
Update Issue
24

On August 22, Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro conceded that the record number of fires raging in the Amazon may be due to farmers illegally setting fires, but told foreign powers not to interfere with Brazil’s sovereignty. Government figures indicate that fires in the Amazon have risen 83% compared to the same period last year. French President Emmanuel Macron expressed concern over the fires on Twitter, calling them an “international crisis” that should be discussed at the upcoming G7 summit.

NORWAY, GERMANY SUSPEND AMAZON FUNDING IN DISPUTE WITH BRAZIL
08/19/2019
Update Volume
49
Update Issue
23

Norway and Germany have suspended their funding to the Amazon Fund, criticizing President Jair Bolsonaro’s environmental policies. Ola Elvestuen, Norway´s environment minister, stated that Brazil broke an agreement with Norway and Germany by eliminating the board and the technical committee of the Fund with no plans for replacement. Created in 2008, the Amazon Fund finances projects to protect the Amazon rain forest. Norway is the largest contributor to the Fund, donating $1.2 billion to date, followed by Germany at $68 million.

REPORT FINDS PESTICIDES IN BRAZIL'S WATER
04/29/2019
Update Volume
49
Update Issue
12

A report has found concerning levels of 27 pesticides in 1,400 towns across Brazil. Of the pesticides found, 11 are prohibited in Brazil and 21 are banned in the European Union (EU). The study was performed by a Swiss nonprofit group called Public Eye and investigative journalists from Repórter Brasil and Agência Publica. Most test results fell within loose Brazilian safety limits, but 12% of samples breached the EU's stricter regulations. For the full story, see https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/26/brazil-finds-worrying-lev….

BRAZILIAN INSTITUTE WARNS OF POTENTIAL HEALTH CRISIS FROM DAM FAILURE
02/11/2019
Update Volume
49
Update Issue
5

Brazil's leading research institute, Fiocruz, is warning of a potential health crisis from the failure of a dam in the state of Minas Gerais, which released muddy mining waste and killed at least 134 people. The reservoir breach leached roughly 12 million cubic meters of reddish-brown mud, threatening to contaminate 48 municipalities and affecting up to 1.3 million residents. The institute is concerned that contamination of the ecosystem and nearby Paraopeba River could lead to the spread of diseases like dengue and yellow fever in communities surrounding the reservoir.

UN HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERTS CALL FOR INVESTIGATION INTO BRAZIL DAM COLLAPSE
02/04/2019
Update Volume
49
Update Issue
4

On January 30, United Nations human rights experts called for an impartial investigation into the collapse of a dam in Minas Gerais, Brazil, on January 25, and into toxicity of the waste from the iron ore mine. The dam is owned by Vale SA, the world's largest iron ore miner. One expert urged the government to prioritize safety evaluations of dams, and to refrain from authorizing new tailing dams until safety has been ensured. The Minas Gerais state labor prosecutors' office has frozen more than 800 million reais of Vale's funds as compensation for victims of the collapse.

BRAZIL HANDS OVER INDIGENOUS LAND DEMARCATION TO AGRICULTURE MINISTRY
01/07/2019
Update Volume
49
Update Issue
1

Brazil's new president, Jair Bolsonaro, has issued an administrative decree that shifts responsibility for indigenous land demarcation from the government's indigenous affairs office to the ministry of agriculture. The decree also shifts authority over regulation of quilombola territory from the government's agrarian reform institute to the ministry.

You must be an ELR subscriber to access the full content.

You are not logged in. To access this content: