BAD CANADIAN MINER
Brazil: Federal prosecutors say Mura Indigenous leaders were misled and that there is no agreement on consent to Brazil Potash
"Brazil Potash says Mura accept Amazon mine, prosecutors disagree", 29 September 2023
...Brazil Potash Corp, the Canadian firm planning to build Latin America's largest fertilizer mine in the Amazon rainforest, says a local Indigenous people, the Mura, have agreed to the project...Brazil Potash touted the support on Tuesday, a day after a meeting between company executives, Mura leaders, local politicians and Governor Wilson Lima, who has backed the mine to bring investment and jobs to Amazonas state...
Federal prosecutors in Manaus, however, said support for the mine was not unanimous and provided a letter from a Mura village saying community leaders had been misled into signing meeting minutes that the company construed as approval for the mine. "There is no unanimity among the Mura regarding the mining project," the prosecutors office said in a statement. It added that a court order suspending the mine's license was in effect.
Brazil Potash said the Mura decided to hold a vote and more than 60% of those attending from 36 communities voted in favor...
Federal judge Jaiza Fraxe reiterated last month her 2016 ruling that suspended the project until the Mura were consulted, and required licensing from federal environmental agency IBAMA rather than state entity IPAAM, which issued a license in 2015...
Some of the Mura have expressed concerns that the mine could pollute rivers and scare away the game and fish they live on. Brazil Potash says the mine would have minor environmental impact because salt separated from the potash at a processing plant would be returned underground...
By Anthony Boadle, Ana Mano
BRASILIA (Reuters) -Brazil Potash Corp, the Canadian firm planning to build Latin America’s largest fertilizer mine in the Amazon rainforest, says a local Indigenous people, the Mura, have agreed to the project, but federal prosecutors insist the community is still divided.
Brazil Potash touted the support on Tuesday, a day after a meeting between company executives, Mura leaders, local politicians and Governor Wilson Lima, who has backed the mine to bring investment and jobs to Amazonas state.
“This is a major milestone achievement in the project’s development as it clearly demonstrates respect for the Mura’s wishes,” the company said in a statement, adding that it had completed consultations with the Indigenous community.
Federal prosecutors in Manaus, however, said support for the mine was not unanimous and provided a letter from a Mura village saying community leaders had been misled into signing meeting minutes that the company construed as approval for the mine.
“There is no unanimity among the Mura regarding the mining project,” the prosecutors office said in a statement. It added that a court order suspending the mine’s license was in effect.
Brazil Potash said the Mura decided to hold a vote and more than 60% of those attending from 36 communities voted in favor.
“You have a few people who decided not to support the project, but they are by far the minority,” Brazil Potash Chief Executive Matt Simpson said in an interview.
“The people who disagreed with the outcome of the vote are now complaining to a prosecutor, who frankly is abusing his power,” he added.
Brazil Potash is owned by CD Capital with a 34% stake, Sentient with 23% of the shares, and Stan Bharti’s Forbes & Manhattan Group, a Toronto-based merchant bank that began the project, that holds 14%, along with other shareholders.
Federal judge Jaiza Fraxe reiterated last month her 2016 ruling that suspended the project until the Mura were consulted, and required licensing from federal environmental agency IBAMA rather than state entity IPAAM, which issued a license in 2015.
In her Aug. 25 decision, the judge said the project would also require congressional approval if Indigenous affairs agency FUNAI grants a Mura claim for protected reservation status for the village of Soares, which the mining project overlaps. Mining on Indigenous land is prohibited in Brazil’s constitution.
The mine in Autazes, 75 miles (120 kms) southeast of the Amazonas state capital Manaus, would reduce Brazilian farmers’ current reliance on imports for 95% their potash fertilizer.
The $2.5 billion potash project is expected to produce up to 2.4 million tonnes a year, about one quarter of Brazil’s demand, and would take three years to develop once it gets approved.
Brazil Potash said FUNAI still needs to complete a review of the company’s “Indigenous Consultation Study” before it can issue the installation license needed to start building a mine.
The company has stressed that its project is not on Indigenous land, since the Soares claim has not been formally recognized by FUNAI. Prosecutors say the mine would impact the way of life of some 15,000 Mura people.
Some of the Mura have expressed concerns that the mine could pollute rivers and scare away the game and fish they live on. Brazil Potash says the mine would have minor environmental impact because salt separated from the potash at a processing plant would be returned underground.
Reporting by Anthony Boadle in Brasilia and Ana Mano in Sao PauloEditing by Brad Haynes, Nick Zieminski and David Gregorio
Mura Indigenous People Win Sanctions Against Brazil Potash Over Mining Project
Resistance: Brazil Potash
Potássio do Brasil is planning to mine for potash, a key fertilizer ingredient, on the land of Mura Indigenous people in Amazonas state, Brazil. Courts have imposed a US$20,000 fine on the company for attempting to claim land for the mine in Soares village despite the fact that the local Mura have yet to give permission for mining to go ahead.
“I was born here and brought up here. My parents and grandparents too. So I won’t be told by Potássio, that comes from outside, that this land isn’t ours. It is our land and they are the invaders.” – Aldinélson Moraes Pavão, chief of Urucurituba village
Potássio do Brasil
Potássio do Brasil is a subsidiary of mining company Brazil Potash, based in Toronto, Canada, funded by the Forbes and Manhattan merchant bank. In 2010, Potássio do Brasil discovered major potash reserves in Autazes district of Amazonas and began planning a US$2.5 billion mine, port and processing facility to supply fertilizer to Brazilian agribusiness which is heavily dependent on imports.
Self-determination
In 2015 Potássio do Brasil was given permission to proceed by Instituto de Proteção Ambiental do Amazonas (IPAAM) but this decision was challenged by the Public Prosecutor's Office in 2017 after Mura communities become concerned about the environmental impacts of the mine. The prosecutor ordered Potássio do Brasil to conduct a “free, prior and informed consultation.”
Land Grabbing
Despite starting consultations with the Mura, Potássio do Brasil has also continued exploratory drilling and started to put pressure on local villagers to sell their land. In addition, the company started to give away food baskets, seeds and construction materials as well as promise jobs. Over time the company also started to post signs that the land was now owned by Potássio do Brasil.
Indigenous Under Attack
The allegations of coercion have concerned officials from Funai, the Brazilian federal indigenous agency, who visited the region in March 2023 to discuss how to decide which land should be classified as Indigenous. The visit subsequently sparked rumours that the government would take away land from local farmers, together with new threats against the Indigenous leaders.
“Everything indicates that the indigenous people are being deceived, involved in a kind of internal colonialism that involves different spheres of power.” - Fernanda Bragato, coordinator of the Human Rights Center of the University of Vale do Rio dos Sinos, in Rio Grande do Sul
Sanctions
In May, the Brazilian federal court fined Potássio do Brasil 100,000 reais (US$20,000) for planting illegal signs and imposed a further fine of 50,000 reals for every day that the signs stay up. The federal prosecutor’s office also held a press conference to announce that the consultation would be halted until the land was demarcated.
Company Response
“We are completely open to dialog with the local communities and with the indigenous peoples of the region. In fact, one of the commitments we want to make is to have around 80% of people from that region in our workforce.” - Adriano Espeschit, CEO of Potássio do Brasil
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