Brazilian Air Force to control airspace over indigenous reserve to combat illegal mining

The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) will control the airspace over the Yanomami indigenous land, the largest reserve of native peoples in the country, to combat illegal mining in the region.

It has caused the contamination of the region’s water and soil, seriously affecting the health of the local tribes, official sources informed today.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva published a decree in Tuesday’s Official Gazette providing measures to face the public health emergency and combat illegal mining in Yanomami territory.

Among the actions foreseen by the federal administrative agencies is creating an Air Defense Identification Zone (ZIDA) over the territory’s airspace.

This measure will remain in force as long as the Public Health Emergency of National Importance is in force.

In recent speeches, Lula had already anticipated the decision to adopt severe measures to protect the indigenous territory and combat illegal mining in Yanomami territory.

“We decided to decide to stop this joke. There will be no more prospecting, no more overflights, no more fuel supply”, said the President yesterday during a ceremony at the Presidential Palace.

The air defense zone will be in charge of the Air Force Air Command, which will adopt the necessary actions to regulate and control the air space “against any type of suspicious illicit air traffic” practiced in the territory.

Administrative policy measures such as the interdiction of aircraft and equipment supporting illicit activities will be carried out by agents of the Federal Police, the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama), and other “organs and entities of the federal public administration”, according to the decree.

In addition, people will only be allowed to enter Yanomami territory with the authorization of the Ministers of Health and Indigenous Peoples “to prevent and reduce the risk of transmission of diseases and other injuries”.

Also, according to the decree, the Ministry of Defense will provide intelligence and logistical airlift data to teams directly involved in neutralizing aircraft and equipment related to illegal mining in Yanomami territory.

The decree establishes that the federal authorities will be in charge of making requests for goods, servers, and services necessary for the transportation of equipment; supply of drinking water; supply of food and clothing; and for the opening or reopening of support posts of the National Foundation of Indigenous Peoples (Funai) and basic health units of the Ministry of Health.