On February 9, the Federal Regional Court of the 1st Region (TRF-1) stamped its absolute submission to imperialism by vetoing the decision of the Amazon Justice to prohibit the licensing of the company Potassium do Brasil in the case of mineral exploitation in the municipality of Autazes inside the Amazonas. Exploration is also supported by the federal government. The prohibition issued by the local judiciary had been an achievement of the region's indigenous and peasants, who have already made several complaints against the imperialist company.
The judicial dispute began officially when, in 2023, the Federal Court of the 1st Federal Civil Court of the Judicial Section of Amazonas (SJAM) was forced to admit the obvious unconstitutionality of the licensing of the company Potassium do Brasil Ltda in the mineral exploration project in region, after numerous complaints from local indigenous peoples. This decision, however, does not seem to be consonant with the higher sectors of the judiciary who, last month, reacted to guarantee imperialist interests in the region.
The judicial dispute began officially when, in 2023, the Federal Court of the 1st Federal Civil Court of the Judicial Section of Amazonas (SJAM) was forced to admit the obvious unconstitutionality of the licensing of the company Potassium do Brasil Ltda in the mineral exploration project in region, after numerous complaints from local indigenous peoples. Months later, higher sectors of the judiciary reacted to popular conquest and decided to go back with the decision to guarantee imperialist interests in the region.
The reaction in question was by Judge Marcos Augusto de Souza, acting vice president of TRF-1. The jurist, in his veto decision, also made a point of rebuking the position of the state judiciary, where he should “avoid improper interference from the judiciary in the regular exercise of administrative functions by the constituted authorities, which results in serious injury to public and administrative order ”.
The Federal Court's decision has vigorous government support. Still in March 2023, Vice President of the Republic, Geraldo Alckmin (PSB), said during the 308th meeting of the Suframa Board of Directors in Manaus, that the federal government will work “with commitment” to make the exploration project possible of potassium in autozes. The project also has unconditional support from the Minister of Agriculture, Carlos Fávaro.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Mura -in -ethnic families who inhabit the Soares village are still dropped to their own luck. Indians require the demarcation of areas as an indigenous land since 2003, but organs such as Ibama and Funai have never given a deadline for the demarcation of the territory.
The Lesa-Patria Project had also been approved and locally favored by figures such as the governor of Amazonas, Wilson Lima (União Brasil) and state deputy Sinésio Campos (PT).
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The Potassium War in Autozes
On the banks of the Madeirinha River, in the interior of the state of Amazonas, there is the self-marked indigenous land Soares/Urucurituba, where people originating from the brave Mura nation inhabit for centuries. In the same region, however, there is also a huge potassium chloride mine that quickly attracted the interest of Canadian imperialist companies. The case that has been lasting decades has been classified by the Royal Amazon Investigative Journalism Agency as “the Potassium War in Autozes”.
The company façade created to advance the exploration of the call by “Project Autazes”, was Potassium do Brasil Ltda. The allegedly national name hides, however, that more than 70% of the company's funds are controlled by Canadian and British investors, in particular, those of companies Forbes&Manhattan , CD Capital and the The Sentient Group .
When the investers began against the territory of the Soares village, the imperialists began with the classic tactics of bribe and harassment. Milton Menezes, one of the local indigenous leaders, described the first approaches, almost 10 years ago, from company agents to the Amazon Real:
“The first time, they arrived offering $ 900 to pierce my land. They insisted that it was a lot of money. I didn't authorize, I saw that it was not a good thing. But then they ended up piercing elsewhere without my consent. Then they wanted to buy my land. They said I could even be kicked out if I didn't sell. I didn't accept it, ”he says.
The people of the region have since resisted the company's cowards to take their land. This resistance, however, has deep roots in the Soares village and directly linked to its foundation when, still in the 19th century, João Gabriel de Arcangelo Barbosa, an indigenous muura that fought during the cabin revolt founded the territory in those lands.
Still these days, the memory of João Gabriel, loaded with great pride for his numerous descendants who reside in Lago Soares to this day, is still alive and pulsating and recalls that the only way to victory is the fight.