Brazil - Brazzil Mag - Brazil's Lula Tells US and EU to Keep Their Evil Eye Off the Amazon

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In a speech to thousands of Indians in the state of Amazonas, in northern Brazil, this Saturday, September 22, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva told them that the whole world looks at Brazil with envy and an evil eye.

"Instead of casting an evil eye on our forest, the developed world would better start planting the trees they destroyed for so many centuries," said the president to about 8,000 Indians from São Gabriel da Cachoeira, 530 miles from Manaus, the capital of Amazonas state.

São Gabriel da Cachoeira is a municipality with 35,000 people, 90% of which are indigenous people.

The Brazilian government is to spend US$ 270 million in the next three years creating new reservations for indigenous groups in the Amazon. Money will also be spent taking water and electricity to isolated groups.

Making the announcement, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said he wanted to redress the debt that the state owed to its Indian communities. Indians represent less than 0.5% of Brazil's population and live scattered throughout the vast Amazon rainforest.

According to the most recent census, Brazil has an indigenous population of around 730,000 Indians belonging to more than 200 different ethnic groups.

Altogether they speak around 180 languages. Many live in the hundreds of reservations which already cover more than 12% of the country.

These communities are now to benefit from a significant injection of funds. More than US$ 270 million will be spent over the next three years setting the boundaries of 127 indigenous territories. The money will also help to compensate and resettle families of 9,000 rural workers occupying those lands.

Lula said if private companies were not prepared to carry out the work, it would be done by military engineering units.

The head of Funai, the government agency charged with defending Indian rights, welcomed the investment.

The promotion of indigenous people is very important, said Márcio Meira, because they are a part of Brazilian society that has a very symbolic value.

Among the new proposals is a plan to document 20 indigenous languages threatened with extinction.

Mr Meira said researchers from the indigenous community would be used to help create a dictionary of the language, which he acknowledged was the basis of all Brazilian culture.

after all is said and done more is said than done
written by forrest Brown, 2007-09-24 00:43:45

LULA needs to look at his own for the rape of the amazon .

so he thinks he can get water and ele power in the amazon while half of the people of any major city in brasil
dont have this service unless they steal it from some where else.

in lulas time in office there has been more deforestation in the amazon than before .

so place the blame game again LULA

forrest Brown
written by JDS, 2007-09-24 01:05:47

in lulas time in office there has been more deforestation in the amazon than before .

so place the blame game again LULA

So you survived all the hurricanes,eh, Forrest?

Pelo o Amor do Deus......
written by João Pinga, 2007-09-24 01:47:31

In a speech to thousands of Indians in the state of Amazonas, in northern Brazil, this Saturday, September 22, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva told them that the whole world looks at Brazil with envy and an evil eye.

Typical populist bafflegab aimed at nationalistic diehards and the undereducated and ill-informed. No other nation on earth has devastated as much forest as Brazil. Brazilians think the forest begins and ends with the Amazon, but forget that they’ve already trashed the Mata Atlantic (5% remaining) - a more biologically diverse eco system than the Amazon.

To point to nations that either never had forests, or never had forests worth mentioning and scream "see, they did that and are rich, powerful and socially just so why can’t we" forgetting all the while that Brazil has basically bulldozed and burned more forest in the last 100 years than all the combined nations of Europe over the last ten centuries (and is still 500 years behind the ret of the world) is simply retarded. But a retarded population will lap it up like puppies at a new water bowl.

We KNOW who votes for Lula, and Lula’s staff of scribes WRITE FOR THEM. “f**k the Yanks”, “hands off the Amazon”, “10 reias more a month for you”, and that’s about that in terms of pleasing the masses here.

Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop, BOOM – O hino nacional do Brasil: The land of missed opportunities.

However, I will digress for a second. The fact that Lula is finally complying with the 1988 constitution in terms of demarcating Indians lands is, at the very least, something worthy of acknowledgement. I won’t say PRAISE, because he’s only honoring a promise that was made DECADES ago, and when all is said and done, I’m sure nothing with come of it and all that cash will end up somewhere in Switzerland.

...
written by João da Silva, 2007-09-24 02:25:40

I’m sure nothing with come of it and all that cash will end up somewhere in Switzerland.

I am sure that our agent in Geneva (Ch.c)can take care of the cash smilies/grin.gif

Brazilians think the forest begins and ends with the Amazon, but forget that they’ve already trashed the Mata Atlantic (5% remaining) - a more biologically diverse eco system than the Amazon.

I am afraid that you are absoultely right about "mata altantica".Enjoy while it is still remaining. I always tell people that they should visit atleast once in their life time to visit the Amazon, while it is still alive.

It is spring time, Pinga, in Southern Brazil. Smell the flowers and leaves, look at the green hills,drive through the dirt roads to enjoy the sounds of the water falls and appreciate the nature until it is not totally destroyed.

hay JDS
written by forrest Brown, 2007-09-24 03:06:29

Just a little blow and some waves .
in most of the free world if you cut a tree you plant 2 to replace it and i some states
state ag deparment will give you saplings if you own land

Observer
written by Nick, 2007-09-24 08:50:58

Sad to see how much bad sentiment and blame is placed on foreigners by Brazilians. This is not the case in many other nations of Asia, including India. Between the air plane crash and this article, I am tempted to cancel my plans to return to Brazil because I do not want to be hated for my national origin.

There are some many unregulated burns of the Amazon and problems that have lead to the unnecessary destruction of hectares and hectares of forest; it is amazing that the has such bigoted boldness in his statements. Efficient methods of resource use and crop rotation could reduce forest depletion to much lower levels than current ones.

Of the BRIC nations, I fear for both Brazil and Russia and see China and India becoming the real players of this group.

Be a man; stand up, accept your faults, learn to apologize when one commits an error. Nobody is perfect. Why don't more father teach their children this?

Typical americans SOBs!
written by Kostinha, 2007-09-24 13:08:31

Like to dish it out... but do not like to take it in!

Does Kyoto rings a bell?

FU Bush people,

To:Forrest
written by João da Silva, 2007-09-24 17:37:03

state ag deparment will give you saplings if you own land

Fortunately,our state is civilized too, Admiral. They also give sapplings. We are the ones who are still trying to preserve our "Mata Atlantica".

Good point....Bin Lula the Liar !
written by ch.c., 2007-09-24 20:11:00

Then why in other speeches YOU request Developed Countries to pay for the preservation of the Amzon ?
If the Amazon is yours, and no doubt about it, Bin Lula.....YOU should NOT ask money to others.....as you continually do !

joao da silva, quando puder, da uma volta la pelo artigo
written by o orgulho suico!!!, 2007-09-24 22:01:40

"Forecast for Brazil: 4.5% GDP Growth with 4% Inflation" concerning our mutual friend... o pinoquio suico ...laugh.

Yes JDS it happens in some places
written by forrest Brown, 2007-09-25 00:29:46

Mata Atlantica

yes love the coast along the Rio to SP and south but you have to look hard to see it

I know where and have pic to prove it 15 brazilian cheery trees are that are at least a meter across and 15 meters tall

but not telling where as we know they would just fall to the saw

been planting trees on my place for years now and about 2/3 take off

so in 50 years or so fatima will have a nice private forest to walk in .

been looking at the coast of honduras and all the trees from the coast to the mountains have been clear cut
and banans pineaple are planted

Forrest
written by João da Silva, 2007-09-25 01:10:28

so in 50 years or so fatima will have a nice private forest to walk in .

I hope you have planted "pinho araucaria" in your private Forest (No pun intended ),so that in 50 years time, they will be giving plenty of "Pinhão" to feed your neighborhood. I bet you know what "Pinhão" is. The nuts are delicious and full of protein.

Sai Olho Gordo
written by Ric, 2007-09-25 01:38:48

E deixa os nacionais continuar desmatando. Despois a gente pranta dendê.

o orgulho suico (Swiss Pride)
written by João da Silva, 2007-09-25 17:51:01

joao da silva, quando puder, da uma volta la pelo artigo

Sim,já li teus comentários!

Please pay attention to my last question in my comment on that thread smilies/wink.gif

Typical americans SOBs! Part - 2
written by Kostinha, 2007-09-25 19:16:12

Stones Brake My Bones... But Words Can Not Hurt Me!

The United States of American.... The Biggest threat to world peace.

FU Bush people.

...
written by Dewolfe, 2007-09-25 19:31:10

Well, it seems to be all good news for the indigenous population and their descendants. Maybe it will even cause people to actually occupy the land since they are genetically more capable of doing that.

I have to take issue with the idea that foreigners are interested in the amazon except in the ways they already have been; by facilitating and becoming rich by deforestation. I know a vanishingly small number of Americans for example are interested in living there. I was once but now if I were to live in Brasil I would probably be in Parana or Mato Grosso do Sul. Fully two years ago I saw Brasilian news footage about the building of a new wooden boat in Rio Grande do Sul, and the builder decried the lack of Ipe' for the project. He said he was having to bring Ipe' from Acre as it was depleted in all nearer areas. In the last year I've been watching home improvement television shows which recommended Ipe' for decks and woodwork exposed to the weather and other sources have detailed it's availability for use in American wooden boats. Someone, no, everyone should step on this hard. The only approved Brasilian wood for marine use is being exported for use in American houses while the maritime culture of Brasil dies off for lack of good wood! One of the programs recommending Ipe was "This Old House" and I believe it was used on a much celebrated "Green House" built here in Austin, Texas. This is a real pity; it left me screaming at the TV screen.

As for Lula indulging in this sort of blatant misdirection to an audience of indigenes who are inextricably affected by deforestation and crooked export practices; though you couldn't blame him personally for any deforestation up to now he must share some responsibility for the next little while for not speaking honestly to the problem. The fact he doesn't seem to be able to pin any blame on some of his political opponents such as planters in Mato Grosso makes it seem his hands may be too dirty to afford comparisons.

Dewolfe

United States of American....The Biggest.....righto, Kostco
written by Ric, 2007-09-26 20:19:23

There is no shortage of Ipê. Yesterday I was out in the interior and saw a pile of Ipê logs six or seven meters high at one sawmill, one of many. Lots of it will be labelled Jatobá for its trip to the NE for tax reasons.

The rich are ineffectual. The caboclo will continue to explore the Amazon basically unhindered while the effete snobs who make laws and write columns and who have probably never spent a night in the jungle and could not survive there, continue to deplore, achar ruim and act like experts.

Used to be a lot of Americans, Dutch, Canadians, and other furriners around here. They all went home or elsewhere or died. Just me and a few others left. The companies they worked for left. Asians with dual nationality went back to Asia rather than exist on Xibé com peixe salgado.