Government maintains offensive against mineral exploitation at Amazon Indigenous land

With 18,000 hectares of forest destroyed by illegal mining, the Kayapó Indigenous Land is the second most devastated by this criminal activity in Brazil, with an area more than four times larger than that affected in the Yanomami Indigenous Land (approximately 4,000 hectares).

Following the departure of illegal miners, the Federal Government has been carrying out a removal operation in the Indigenous territory since early May. Located in the Amazon, in the state of Pará, the area — spanning over 3.2 million hectares — is under aerial and ground surveillance by Federal Government security forces.

Last week, 58 incursions took place inside and around the Indigenous Territory, resulting in the disabling and destruction of materials, machinery, and facilities used by illegal miners, causing an estimated loss of approximately BRL 17.4 million to the miners. The operation is carried out under the order of the Brazilian Judiciary, with the Supreme Federal Court (Supremo Tribunal Federal /STF) mandating the removal process to the government. Coordinated by the Chief of Staff’s Office (Casa Civil) and the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples (Ministério dos Povos Indígenas), the Brazilian government task force includes more than 20 agencies.

GROUND TEAMS — Among the intelligence and combat equipment used by the security forces, the Nauru 500-C drone stands out. It is a high-tech drone operated by the Management and Operational Center of the Amazon Protection System (Centro Gestor e Operacional do Sistema de Proteção da Amazônia /CENSIPAM), an agency linked to the Ministry of Defense (Ministério da Defesa /MD). This equipment guides ground teams and replaces the need for satellite images, which are costly and require prior scheduling.

The Nauru 500-C has been crucial in guiding field teams and identifying deforested areas and suspicious activities. — Image: Release

According to Censipam, the Nauru 500-C is a state-of-the-art Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA), developed with national technology. The equipment is capable of long-distance flights (up to 60 km), operating at altitudes above 1,000 feet (300 meters), and providing high-resolution real-time imagery. Its role in the operation is considered essential for identifying deforested areas and suspicious movements within the Indigenous Land.

FOOD SUPPLIES PACKAGE — Throughout the duration of the operation, the National Indigenous Foundation (Fundação Nacional do Índio /FUNAI) and the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples will distribute two food supplies packages per month to Kayapó families. Deliveries to the communities have been underway since last Monday (19). The humanitarian effort aims to ensure food security for the Kayapó peoples.

OPERATION — This is the eighth indigenous territory to undergo the disintrusion process during the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Since 2023, actions have been carried out in the Alto Rio Guamá (Pará), Apyterewa (Pará), Trincheira Bacajá (Pará), Karipuna (Roraima), Munduruku (Pará), and Yanomami (Roraima – ongoing) territories, in addition to the Araribóia Indigenous Land (Maranhão – ongoing).

Access the album with images produced during the first week of the Kayapó Indigenous Land (TI Kayapó) Disintrusion Operation at this link.