Gold mining in the Amazon: the origin of the Yanomami health crisis

Abstract

After centuries of exploitation and violation of rights, it seems that a consensus has been reached: preserving the Amazon is the only chance for human beings to survive on the planet and a unique opportunity for Brazil to reduce historic inequities and earn international respect and credibility.However, there is a long way to go.According to the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO), there are 4,114 illegal mining sites throughout the forest.Together, they dump more than 150 tons of mercury per year in the region.A survey conducted by the Igarapé Institute 1 , based on 369 anti-crime operations led by the Brazilian Federal Police and environmental and judicial bodies, reveals the illicit activities affecting the Legal Amazon.The document shows that from 2016 to 2021, five environmental crimes expanded: illegal deforestation; land grabbing; illegal logging; farming with environmental liabilities; and illegal mining.In Roraima, 89% of crimes correspond to illegal mining.Illegal mining shows multiple impacts on traditional communities.By invading ancestral territories, illegal mining results in the cutting down of vegetation, changes in the course of rivers, and the digging of large holes, changing the ecosystem and leading to widespread deforestation.As a result, native species of fauna and flora are threatened, large mammals evade the region, areas destined for shifting cultivation and collection of seasonal produce become limited, and a process of food scarcity ensues 2 .Moreover, rivers are contaminated by mercury, poisoning fish, tracajás, alligators, and other animals that live in the area 3 .As traditional foods become scarce, as there is no hunting, fishing, or other food available, food insecurity sets in.Concomitantly, thousands of illegal miners invade indigenous lands (TI, acronym in Portuguese), impacting social organization of the communities, including abuse, aggression, and sexual violence.Moreover, once food insecurity sets in, miners distribute food in the communities, which serve as an enticement strategy and are often industrialized/ultra-processed foods, with high levels of sugar, fat, sodium, and minimal concentrations of protein 4 .The result of this process is a double burden of nutritional deviations in the communities, in which malnourished children and older adults begin to live with young adults who suffer from overweight, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and other diseases.To operate the mining industry, a support network that includes heavy machinery (backhoe shovels, jet nozzles, dredges, rafts) and fuel is needed, further aggravating the social disorganization.Viscerally linked to illegal mining, alcohol, drugs, and prostitution also penetrate the area, becoming the driving force behind sexual abuse against women and children, which predisposes the spread of

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