4 weeks ago
- State-run power patient Petrobras faces guidance from Indigenous groups for its extremity to unfastened Brazil's bluish seashore to lipid drilling.
- An biology agency denied Petrobras a licence for exploratory drilling, citing imaginable impacts connected Indigenous groups.
- Petrobras claims drilling won't effect communities directly, but locals opportunity they fearfulness biology damage.
State-run power patient Petrobras has deed increasing guidance from Indigenous groups and authorities agencies to its premier exploration project, which would unfastened nan astir promising portion of Brazil's bluish coast to lipid drilling.
Environmental agency Ibama denied Petrobras a licence for exploratory drilling offshore successful nan Foz do Amazonas area past year, citing imaginable impacts connected Indigenous groups and nan delicate coastal biome. But a Petrobras entreaty for Ibama to reverse its determination has drawn powerful governmental backing.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said successful September that Brazil should beryllium capable to "research" nan region’s imaginable resources, fixed nan nationalist interest. Energy Minister Alexandre Silveira past week told journalists that it is "Brazil's correct to cognize nan potential" of nan offshore fields.
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That has bolstered bullish rhetoric from Petrobras astir its chances of getting a licence to drill successful nan blocks disconnected nan seashore of Amapa state.
A drone position shows nan Uaha colony connected nan Jumina indigenous land, adjacent nan rima of nan Amazon successful Oiapoque, State of Amapa, Brazil connected March 21, 2024. State-run power patient Petrobras has deed increasing guidance from Indigenous groups and authorities agencies to its premier exploration project, which would unfastened nan astir promising portion of Brazil's bluish seashore to lipid drilling. (REUTERS/Adriano Machado)
"Get fresh Amapa, because we are arriving," Petrobras CEO Jean Paul Prates told section politicians and lipid executives astatine an arena past period promoting offshore exploration on nan bluish seashore successful an area known arsenic Equatorial Margin. He called it "perhaps nan past frontier of nan lipid era for Brazil."
He has said he expects to commencement drilling successful nan 2nd half of this twelvemonth aliases sooner successful nan astir promising portion of nan Equatorial Margin, named nan Foz do Amazonas basin, for nan rima of nan Amazon River respective 100 kilometers away. Foz de Amazonas shares earth science pinch nan seashore of adjacent Guyana, wherever Exxon is processing immense fields.
Ibama main Rodrigo Agostinho said successful November that a determination would beryllium made successful early 2024, though labour disputes astatine nan agency person since slowed nan gait of biology licensing.
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Visits to 4 Indigenous villages, interviews pinch complete a twelve section leaders, and antecedently unreported documents show organized guidance mounting to Petrobras' effort to reverse nan halt connected exploratory drilling.
Petrobras has drawn caller authorities scrutiny. Indigenous affairs agency Funai asked Ibama regulators successful December to tally respective much studies to measure impacts, according to a Dec. 11 authorities memo from Funai to Ibama obtained successful a state of accusation request. The projected studies would person to beryllium done earlier Ibama tin determine whether to judge nan Petrobras appeal.
In July 2022, nan Council of Chieftains of nan Indigenous People of Oiapoque (CCPIO), an umbrella group representing much than 60 Indigenous villages successful nan area, asked national prosecutors to get involved, denouncing an alleged usurpation of their rights.
Brazilian prosecutors person a instruction to protect Indigenous peoples, often taking their broadside successful disputes pinch firms aliases national and authorities governments. In September 2022 they recommended that Ibama not rumor nan licence earlier a general consultation of nan section communities. Records from nan prosecutors’ preliminary investigation, seen by Reuters, show that successful December 2023, CCPIO asked them to agent a 13-month general consultation pinch Petrobras astir Indigenous views connected nan project.
The consultation process, on pinch studies projected by Funai, would push a determination into 2025 erstwhile Brazil will big nan COP30 ambiance alteration acme successful nan Amazon metropolis of Belem, which could make it much politically difficult to o.k. drilling, a personification adjacent to CCPIO told Reuters.
Minutes from a June 2023 gathering betwixt Petrobras, CCPIO leaders and prosecutors show nan institution offered to consult section communities astir eventual commercialized lipid accumulation successful nan area, if Ibama requests it, but did not perpetrate to a consultation earlier drilling exploratory wells.
Asked astir Indigenous leaders' calls for contiguous consultations, Petrobras told Reuters successful a connection that nan clip for specified requests has passed.
"The meaning of whether aliases not it is basal to consult indigenous peoples and/or accepted communities takes spot astatine nan first shape of nan environmental licensing process," Petrobras said.
Ibama has not yet replied to nan proposal by Indigenous affairs agency Funai precocious past twelvemonth for much assessments of nan effects of Petrobras' exploration plans, according to an April 3 Funai archive seen by Reuters.
Both agencies did not reply to requests for remark by Reuters. CCPIO and prosecutors said a consultation must beryllium made earlier Ibama issues a licence to drill.
FAULT LINES
The drilling standoff has created a responsibility statement successful Lula’s government, which is balancing his vows to protect nan Amazon and its Indigenous group pinch nan interests of Petrobras and governmental friends that guidelines to reap nan benefits of a caller oil-producing region.
Silveira, nan power minister, has said that a azygous Foz de Amazonas artifact disconnected nan seashore of Amapa authorities could output much than 5.6 cardinal barrels of oil, which would beryllium nan company's biggest find successful complete a decade.
In its entreaty to Ibama, nan institution said that exploration will person nary antagonistic effect connected section communities.
"We ratify nan knowing that location is nary nonstop effect of nan impermanent activity of drilling a good 175 km from nan seashore connected Indigenous communities," Petrobras said.
Local group and immoderate environmentalists pass that drilling could frighten coastal mangroves and immense wetlands rich | pinch food and works life, while disrupting nan lives of nan 8,000 Indigenous group successful Oiapoque, connected Brazil's acold bluish coast.
The CCPIO, nan highest Indigenous authority successful Oiapoque, is composed of much than 60 caciques, aliases chieftains, representing complete 8,000 people. They do not reason nan hunt for lipid per se, but invoke what they opportunity is simply a correct to anterior consultation by Petrobras, pinch supervision from nan national prosecutors’ agency and Funai.
The International Labor Organization normal 169, which Brazil signed, says that governments must consult Indigenous and tribal peoples done their typical institutions, whenever considering legislative measures that whitethorn impact them directly.
CHANGE AFOOT
The plans to drill are already changing Oiapoque. Waves of migrant workers person arrived looking for jobs successful an lipid manufacture that does not yet exist, authorities lawmaker Inacio Monteiro said.
Monteiro said he meets often pinch Indigenous constituents, talking to them astir nan benefits that Petrobras could bring to Oiapoque, including jobs, taxation gross and societal programs.
Yet CCPIO and its friends person go progressively vocal pinch their guidance arsenic Petrobras garners support for its appeal, including astatine nan COP28 ambiance acme successful December, wherever Luene Karipuna told a sheet that Petrobras and section politicians had tried to soundlessness her people.
"Strategically, this anterior consultation is our only information net," 25-year-old Karipuna, who is studying to beryllium a teacher, said adjacent her location successful nan Santa Izabel village, wherever marshes capable pinch seawater astatine definite times of nan year.
When nan rivers tally low, tides bring successful saltwater food nan villagers eat, but immoderate interviewed by Reuters fearfulness it could conscionable arsenic easy bring lipid spills.
POLITICAL PRESSURE
Indigenous leaders said a full-court property from section politicians successful support of Petrobras was connected show astatine a May 2023 nationalist proceeding that Monteiro, nan authorities lawmaker, called conscionable days aft Petrobras' licence was denied.
Amapa's governmental powerbrokers, including cardinal Lula allies, rallied wrong days astatine Oiapoque's municipality hallway for nan proceeding to beforehand Petrobras' plans to drill.
At nan event, 1 man successful a achromatic polo garment and a feathered headdress, Ramon Karipuna told nan crowd that Indigenous group were successful favour of drilling, according to minutes of nan gathering seen by Reuters.
Karipuna said he said for nan coordinator of nan CCPIO assembly of chieftains, who was absent for "health reasons."
Petrobras later cited Karipuna's endorsement successful its entreaty of nan denied drilling licence and described him arsenic a "CCPIO representative.".
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However, CCPIO coordinator Cacique Edmilson Oliveira told Reuters he was not sick that day. CCPIO had refused to return portion successful nan hastily summoned event, according to a May 18 missive sent successful consequence to Monteiro’s invitation to nan proceeding and seen by Reuters.
"This is very concerning. That's why we are saying that we already consciousness threatened," Oliveira said, accusing Petrobras of distorting nan views of Indigenous leaders. "We ne'er sat down and reached an statement for approval."
In a telephone interview, Karipuna confirmed he worked astatine nan municipality hallway and that he is not a personnel of CCPIO – moreover though Petrobras utilized his words arsenic its main statement to Ibama that Indigenous representatives supported drilling. He besides backed distant from his comments successful favour of drilling.
"To this time galore group person doubts astir this Petrobras business," he said.
Asked astir its mischaracterization of Karipuna, Petrobras cited nan minutes of nan May 2023 meeting, without elaborating.
