The Indigenous Council of Roraima (CIR), an indigenous organization that this year will complete 50 years of action in defense of the rights of indigenous peoples, comes to the public to express its opinion on Bill 201/2020 that "Provides for the Licensing for the Mining Activity in the State of Roraima, and provides other measures" authored by Governor Antonio Denarium (no party), and approved in a special committee in the Legislative Assembly of Roraima (Ale-RR).
In the middle of the Pandemic, in which the state of Roraima is on the verge of collapse in health, with hundreds of deaths and neglect of health due to the lack of care conditions in hospital units, unfortunately we are witnessing the Executive's performance in the dark, at the end of the year, forwarding a Bill that does not meet the reality of traditional populations.
We refuse to condone yet another attack on the environment, having a healthy place means quality of life for all indigenous and non-indigenous people, it is everyone's duty to defend an ecologically balanced environment, as prescribed by our Constitution of the Republic. It is not today that the CIR denounces this illegal activity that causes deaths, pollution of rivers and fish with mercury, and puts all biodiversity and human life at risk. Indigenous peoples have faced and suffered from the impacts of mining for decades in the Yanomami and Raposa Serra do Sol indigenous lands.
Defending "Mother Earth" is not an ideological issue of the left or the right, but rather protecting the lives of the entire population, so it is everyone's responsibility: indigenous, urban, riverside dwellers, fishermen, etc. To approve PL 201 is to legalize the destruction of forests, pollution of rivers, lakes, streams and our rich farms, which is the habitat of thousands of animals, birds, fish and all kinds of living beings.
In view of this scenario and the imminent risk of approval of PL 201/2020 in the Legislative House of Roraima, the CIR speaks out against this project, and calls on Roraima society to defend our environment, such as lakes, rivers, forests, farmland and all biodiversity.
NO to PL 201/2020!
NO mercury release!
NO to mining!
Boa Vista-RR, January 12, 2021.
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