Brazilian Government Evicts Communities that Best Preserve the Rainforest
A burned house, confiscated work implements, prohibited from commercial ventures and from farming. Treated as a threat to preservation, the ribeirinhos [river-dwellers] of the Iriri River in Pará state, suffer from pressure to abandon the steep riverbanks, which are much more than just places to live, but are the places that keep them alive. Sociologist Maurício Torres reveals the contradictions in the Ministry of Environment’s position on conservation units: “They are permissive regarding the Belo Monte hydroelectric power plant, but when a river-dweller in a canoe comes along, ‘Good lord, get this monster out of here, or he’ll destroy the Amazon.'”
