Brazil: Operation against illegal mining on Madeira River destroyed 131 dredges

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – After three days of raids against illegal mining barges along the Madeira River, Operation Uiara destroyed 131 dredges, the main equipment used in the vessels to suction the riverbed in search of gold. There were 69 dredges destroyed on Saturday and another 62 on Sunday.

There was no record of violence, use of force or shooting, according to the Federal Police superintendent in Amazonas Leandro Almada.

Between Saturday and Sunday, 3 people were taken to the Federal Police station in Amazonas for having been found with a quantity of gold.

“We had to provide a strong response, and we did. This is the result of a 48-hour operation,” Almada said.

The operation was conducted with the support of teams in helicopters and boats, departing from Manaus (AM). The aircraft flew daily between the capital of Amazonas and the areas of the Madeira River where the rafts were found. The boats traveled along the Amazon River, until accessing the Madeira and, from there, supporting the raids.

PROTESTS

Part of the miners were concentrated in areas of the municipalities of Autazes and Nova Olinda do Norte. Police efforts were focused on this stretch. Rafts were concentrated iIn the above municipalities, such as Borba and Manicoré. In the last two cities, miners also held peaceful protests against the crackdown.

Among the officers there was concern that an onslaught of the operation in these new settlements, which on Sunday, November 28, concentrated some 20 rafts in Borba, could lead to a risky situation.

However, Almada said that the decision not to head to the region was due to the autonomy of the equipment used in the operation. “We feel that the result has been achieved. It was even better than we expected, especially after that first circumvention effort,” he said. “The operation ultimately progressed over an area even larger than we had anticipated. But obviously, if they come again, there will be another operation.”

On Monday, Federal Police officers collected hair samples from residents of the Autazes region. The goal is to test if there is any amount of mercury present in the population.

The chemical element used in the process of separating gold from other substances is extremely harmful to both health and the environment. “We will perform this study and seek material evidence of contamination,” Almada said.