Anglo American is once again evading explanations for its intentions to mine on Indigenous territories in the Brazilian Amazon. On November 20, 2020, Anglo American stated that it had given up all applications for mining exploration inside Indigenous lands in Brazil. Following the release of the Complicity in Destruction III report by the Association of Brazil’s Indigenous Peoples (APIB) and Amazon Watch, the company said it would contact the Brazilian Mining Agency (ANM) to update its applications.
However, on November 27, 2020, InfoAmazônia revealed that the ANM had granted permission for 27 of the mining company’s applications for copper prospecting inside Indigenous Territories (ITs) in the states of Mato Grosso and Pará.
Now, updated data collected by the Amazônia Minada project from the ANM database for January 30 show, however, that if we consider all types of applications at any stage of processing, Anglo American has 86 applications in total that concern Indigenous lands; 23 of them on Sawré Muybu land, home of the Munduruku people in Pará state.
The Badjonkore, Menkragnoti, and Kayapó TIs in Pará, and the Kayabi, Apiaká, and Escondido Indigenous lands in Mato Grosso are also targeted by the English mining company for copper and nickel exploration.
In May 2020, Anglo American acknowledged only four applications and, on January 25, 2021, only 25 applications (including from its subsidiaries). However, the current reality reveals that the extent of the problem is much greater than what has been recognized by the mining company so far.
Are these mining applications a mix-up or a cunning strategy by Anglo American to obfuscate its true intentions for Brazil’s Indigenous lands? This is a question that Anglo American needs to answer.
Join us to call on Anglo American to take a stance and commit to staying out of the Munduruku territory and all Indigenous territories in Brazil. Sign the petition!
Read the complete story at Mining Observatory.
