From: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord@igc.apc.org>
Newsgroups: soc.rights.human
Date: 18 Aug 92 14:31 PDT
Subject: Action Alert
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1476700385:000:6931
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!hrcoord    Aug 18 14:31:00 1992


From: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord>
Subject: Action Alert

/* Written  7:34 am  Aug 18, 1992 by edf in cdp:ax.brasil */
    URGENT ACTION - BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT SELLS OUT INDIANS, ENVIRONMENT TO

                MILITARY AND PREDATORY DEVELOPMENT INTERESTS 







Brazilian President Fernando Collor de Mello is attempting to deal away the

possibility of any further demarcation of Indian lands or creation of

environmentally protected areas in Brazil in a desperate bid for military and

developers support to keep in him office. A Congressional investigation has

clearly and publicly linked Collor to massive corruption, influence peddling

and extortion by his campaign treasurer, P.C. Farias and will likely recomend 

his impeachment. Collor has in effect auctioned off governmental office to

buy 1/3 of the votes in Congress and block the impeachment proceedings.

COLLOR HAS ALSO INSTRUCTED THE SECRETARY OF ENVIRONMENT AND

MINISTER OF JUSTICE THAT ANY INDIAN LAND DEMARCATIONS AND

CREATION OF PROTECTED AREAS WILL HENCEFORTH NEED APPROVAL

FROM THE CHIEFS OF STAFF OF THE ARMED FORCES, THE NATIONAL

DEPARTMENT OF MINERAL PRODUCTION, THE NATIONAL ELECTRICAL

POWER COMPANY AND THE NATIONAL AGRICULTURE RESEARCH AGENCY.

This is a political payoff to sectors of the military that have vehemently

opposed recognition of Indian lands or creation of environmentally protected

areas in the Amazon.



Leading Brazilian NGOs (the Ecumenical Center for Documentation and

Information - CEDI; the Federation of Social and Educational Assisstance

Organs - FASE; and the Nucleus for Indigenous Rights - NDI) have denounced

the maneuver as subverting the Brazilian constitution and grossly abusing

democratic process. Marcos Coimbra, Secretary General of the Presidency 

informed the Environment Secretary and Justice Minister of the change in a

memo (aviso 745)-- an administrative act devoid of legal status and hidden

from public scrutiny.



The changes impose major obstacles to the creation of Indigenous and

naturally protected areas. This jeopardizes the G7 Pilot Program for the

Conservation of Brazilian Tropical Forest (to which the G7 countries have

pledged $250 million, including substantial funds for Indian land demarcation

and creation of portected areas), the Rondonia Natural Resource Management

Program ($167 million), and the Mato Grosso Natural Resource Management

Program ($205 million), both financed by the World Bank. Collor, in a

desperate scramble to stay in power in the face of rising public outrage, has

turned his back on major international commitments.



FAX, TELEX, OR WRITE:                               and (in US)

Ilmo. Sr. Fernando Collor de Mello      Ambassador Rubens Ricupero         

Presidente da Republica                 Brazilian Embassy

Palacio do Planalto                     3006 Massachussets Ave. N.W.

70.150 Brasilia D.F.                    Washington D.C. 20008

Brasil                                  fax- 202 745 2728

telex - 611088, fax - 55 61 226 7566

A letter sent by various US environmental groups follows: 





August 14, 1992



Fernando Collor de Mello

Presidente da Republica

Palacio do Planalto

70.150 Brasilia, D.F.

Brasil



Dear Mr. President:



      It has come to our attention that your government has substantially

changed procedures for the demarcation of Indian lands and the creation of

environmental conservation areas. We are gravely concerned by the

implications of these changes for the environment and indigenous peoples'

rights in Brazil. 



      On July 15, 1992 the Secretary General of the Presidency of the

Republic, Ambassador Marcos Coimbra, issued "Aviso no. 745", on your order.

The memo informs the Secretary of Environment and the Minister of Justice

that thenceforth the creation of new environmentally protected areas and the

demarcation of Indian lands is conditioned on the views of the chiefs of staff

of the armed forces (Estado Maior das Forcas Armadas); the National

Department of Mineral Production (DNPM); the national electrical power

company (Eletrobras); and the Brazilian Agricultural Research Company

(EMBRAPA).   



       Our organizations strongly supported your action in favor of the

demarcation of the Yanomami Indian territory.  We further supported your

government's proposals for concessional assistance for the Pilot Program for

the Conservation of Brazilian Tropical Forest presented to the Group of Seven

Economic Summit in June of 1991. We  appealed vigorously to our

government for the allocation of scarce US resources to this program in a

time of severe budgetary constraints, and urged our European colleagues to

do the same. The "Coimbra memo" gravely threatens the integrity of the G7

Pilot Program.  It also compromises the feasibility of two regional land use

zoning programs, for which your government has undertaken substantial

international commitments--the Rondonia Natural Resource Management

Program and the Mato Grosso Natural Resource Management Program, both

financed by the World Bank. 

      

      Brazilian nongovernmental groups affirm that the intent of the Coimbra

memo is unconstitutional on various grounds. They further note that the

memo is an administrative act devoid of legal status, and not subject to even

the minimal public scrutiny permitted by official publication. 

      

      Our organizations have repudiated illegal efforts by the executive branch

of our government to circumvent environmental legislation and subvert the

public right to know of and participate in government decisions. We are

working closely with the Congress to put a halt to such abuses. We

unconditionally support our Brazilian colleagues in their opposition to this

similar attack on the environment, indigenous peoples, and democratic

process in Brazil. 



                                   Sincerely,





Bruce Rich                                    Stephan Schwartzman

Director, International Program               Senior Scientist

Environmental Defense Fund                    Environmental Defense Fund

      

On Behalf of:



Barbara J. Bramble                            Angela O. Harkavy

Director, International Program               United Nations Coordinator

National Wildlife Federation                  National Wildlife Federation



Larry Williams                                Glenn Prickett

Washington Director                           Senior Associate

International Program                         International Program

Sierra Club                                   Natural Resources Defense

                                                    Council     

David Downes     

Attorney

Center for International 

      Envionmental Law



cc:



Ambassador Rubens Ricupero

David Mulford - Treasury Department

Bernard Aronson - Department of State





      



        




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