{"id":51013,"date":"2021-11-30T00:59:13","date_gmt":"2021-11-29T23:59:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/?p=51013"},"modified":"2025-09-10T17:27:15","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T15:27:15","slug":"illegal-mining-amazon-brazil-madeira-river","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/story\/51013\/illegal-mining-amazon-brazil-madeira-river\/","title":{"rendered":"This is what illegal mining in the Amazon looks like"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Illegal mining in the Amazon – a threat to local communities\u2019 health and livelihoods – continues to advance in the region. Last week, rumours that gold was found in the Madeira River, in the south of the Amazon, caused hundreds of rafts to head to the region, causing panic to those who know how destructive the mining is to the rivers of the Amazon.<\/p>\n\n

\"Gold
Rumors of recently found gold near the Rosarinho community, in Autazes, Amazonas state, had dozens of gold mining rafts and tugger boats coming down the Madeira river searching for the mineral and profit.
\u00a9 Bruno Kelly \/ Greenpeace<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

The unusual movement caught the attention of the local population and showed how the miners operate on the Madeira River: without any discretion or concern the illegal exploitation of gold would make the authorities take any action. The rafts were located in the city of Autazes, 110km from Manaus, the capital of the Amazonas state. The invasion of miners in the region was documented by Greenpeace Brazil last Tuesday, 23 November, which confirmed the illegal activity. <\/p>\n\n

The miners came from other cities in the Amazon such as Humait\u00e1, where they count on the support of businessmen and politicians who have been promoting this illegal activity for many years. However, the exploration was met with concern about the environmental damage that causes to the health and livelihoods of those who depend on the river, since mining for gold releases mercury and contaminates the water.<\/p>\n\n

\"Gold
Gold mining is illegal in the Madeira River. The activity releases mercury into the water and is a threat to the health of the local community and those who depend on the water of the river.
\u00a9 Bruno Kelly \/ Greenpeace<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Questioned by the press, both the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Sustainable Natural Resources (Ibama) and the Amazonas Environmental Protection Institute (Ipaam) \u2013 reported that they were aware of what was happening and were investigating. But with Bolsonaro\u2019s administration stripping down resources from such government bodies and enabling the destruction of the environment, illegal miners feel empowered to carry on with little concern.<\/p>\n\n

Development over the weekend<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n

With the images registered by Greenpeace Brazil and the pressure generated by national<\/a> and international press<\/a>, the Brazilian government had to take action. On Sunday, 28 November, the Brazilian Federal Police and IBAMA destroyed some 70 rafts located in the Madeira River. Most of the equipment had already been moved from the mining location into nearby areas in the river, trying to escape from the investigation. 10 illegal miners were arrested while several others escaped into the forest.<\/p>\n\n

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