During the administration of Jair Bolsonaro, the Armed Forces ceased to act in the fight against illegal mining in the Yanomami Indigenous Land or had insufficient action on at least seven occasions, which weakened police actions and contributed to the expansion of criminal activity in the territory.
The peak of action by more than 20,000 invaders was in 2022, the last year of the now ex-president's government.
Folha heard from sources who had direct involvement in actions to attempt to demobilize prospectors, consulted documents sent to the Federal Supreme Court and the Federal Prosecution Service, and analyzed court decisions.
This made it possible to identify seven situations involving the military that, in the end, favored the continuance of mining activity in the Yanomami Land.
The collusion with illegal mining and lack of assistance regarding indigenous healthcare created a humanitarian crisis in the territory, with an explosion in cases of malaria, severe malnutrition, and other diseases associated with hunger.
Translated by Cassy Dias