It is a legal battle that has lasted for more than two decades, a battle that the indigenous Ashaninka community ultimately managed to win against the illegal deforestation of the Amazon rainforest.
The deforestation in the precious “green lungs” of the planet, is a huge problem, which caused – and continues to cause – dangerous environmental and climatic imbalances. The phenomenon took center stage in 2019 when the percentage of deforested land in the tropical rainforest – much higher than in 2018 – contributed to the rapid and uncontrolled development of fires that destroyed hectares and land. hectares of forest. This is why the victory of the indigenous tribe against those who have practiced illegal logging for years takes on even greater significance.
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image credit: theboafoundation/Instagram
Several logging companies have cleared the rainforest since the 1980s in violation of the rules. The Cameli family in particular, who own many of these businesses, have been at the center of litigation with the Federal Ministry, which has launched public lawsuits. The land deforested by Cameli companies between 1981 and 1987 was so vast that ministerial authorities took over from the indigenous populations.
After a long period of slowdown, the case came to an end in April 2020, when the powerful Brazilian family was ordered to pay compensation of around $ 2.4 million to the indigenous Ashaninka community, as well as a million additional dollars to the Human Rights Fund.
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image credit: Daniele Gidsicki / Wikimedia – archive photo
Wood for furniture, paper, oil palm crops, cattle rearing : these are all activities at the heart of the interests of companies that push deforestation, even where they could not. And fire is the means used to quickly “free” the earth from “troublesome” vegetation and make the soil more fertile with the ash.
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The Ashaninka indigenous community in Brazil has won a two-decade federal court dispute against illegal logging interests, receiving $3 million in compensation and an official apology from logging companies. https://t.co/CKTrAefmR5 pic.twitter.com/0cncZdEwqT
— Yale Environment 360 (@YaleE360) May 2, 2020
To pay the price, in addition to the immense quantities of plants and animals, precious for the environmental balance and biodiversity, there are also all the people who, like the Ashanika, have lived in these places for a very long time , in respecting and preserving them. The victory of this indigenous tribe therefore represents a breath of justice, in a situation that can no longer be underestimated.
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image credit: Antônio Milena/ABr/Wikimedia
Source used:
https://www.greenmatters.com/p/questions-about-the-amazon-rainforest-fires
https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/deforestation-and-forest-degradation