Ostensible and without limits in recent years, the presence of 20,000 seekers in the Yanomami Indigenous Land has altered reality even in other traditional territories.
Mining has repercussions beyond the Yanomami and is responsible for differences and diseases in the land of Macuxis and Wapishanas.
The activity of illegal miners on Yanomami land, in Roraima, the largest in Brazil, was so intense, especially in 2021 and 2022, that the effects exceeded their limits.
Folha went to the Boqueirão Indigenous Land, in the Alto Alegre region, and found that mining had impacted life in the community. 520 indigenous people live in Boqueirão, mainly from the Macuxi ethnic group, but there are also Wapishana families.
Groups of miners began to settle, with the acceptance of the Macuxi families, co-opted for activities related to mining. This fueled disagreements within the community.
In addition, the exploitation of gold and cassiterite has destroyed the Uraricoera River in such a way that the damage has reached the section that the Macuxis and Wapishana use for fishing. The water is cloudy and the fish are gone.
Mining also brought malaria to Boqueirão. Currently, there are 45 active cases.
Translated by AZAHARA MARTIN ORTEGA
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