Indigenous leader also criticized the construction project of Ferrogrão, a railway of almost 1,000 kilometers that will cross Brazil to transport grain production
The indigenous leader, a recognized defender around the world, criticized this Wednesday (12) the exploration of close to the Amazon coast and warned that he will not hesitate to “pull the ear” of the president. “I’m going to make an appointment with him, and if I need to, I’m going to pull his ear so he can listen to me”, declared the nonagenarian chief in do, where the climate debate takes place.
“I support President Lula, but he has to listen to me (…) He has to respect us”, he insisted during a press conference held on a boat with other indigenous leaders. His statements were made in the Kayapó language and translated into Portuguese by an interpreter.
The vessel was part of a “barqueata” with dozens of boats that sailed this Wednesday along the Guamá River marking the opening of the Peoples’ Summit, an event parallel to the COP30 negotiations.
“I am following that the government wants to drill for oil in Foz do Amazonas. I am following that the government is working to build a railway to transport products close to our lands”, he stated. “I’m seeing more and more deforestation,” continued Raoni. “And if they continue to do these bad things, we are going to have problems”, he warned.
In October, the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources () authorized exploration to begin in an area located 500 km from the river mouth. This is a project openly supported by Lula, to the chagrin of environmentalists, who respond that oil revenues can be used to finance the energy transition.
Raoni also criticized the Ferrogrão construction project, a railway of almost 1,000 kilometers that will cross Brazil to transport grain production. The railway will connect the municipality of Sinop, an agricultural hub in Mato Grosso and the chief’s home state, to the port of Miritituba, in Pará.
Deforestation in the Amazon, on the other hand, has been steadily declining since Lula returned to power, after rising sharply during his predecessor’s term.
On January 1, 2023, Raoni was one of the personalities who symbolically handed the presidential sash to Lula during his inauguration for a third term.
*With information from AFP
Published by Nátaly Tenório
