Event featured Marist representatives, the Brazilian Army, Ibama and the Federal Police
Photo: Bruno Todeschini
The recent presidential decree which abolished a national reserve in the Amazon was one of the controversial topics that were discussed in the seminar Brazilian Amazon – Problems and Solutions, from Sept 18 – 19. Offered by PUCRS’ Law School and the Brazilian Army, the event featured national and international experts on the subject matter.
At the opening, PUCRS’ Vice President, Jaderson Costa, stressed the important connection between the University and the Amazon through the project Missão Amazônia. “This seminar has been planned to give people more access to information so that we can put in out efforts and find solutions”, claimed he. On the other hand, the Military Commander of the South, General Edson Leal Pujol, commented on the increase of environmental degradation from the exploration of raw materials by foreigners. “Public agencies are negligent and we need changes in the law, which is still very permissive to irregular explorations”, stressed he.
During the first lecture, Army General Geraldo Antônio Miotto, current Military Commander of the Amazon (CMA), went on to say that there are 30,000 military members in the Amazon. “The region aroused people’s interest due to the hydropower plant, the gene bank, carbon, among other factors. Among them we can mention the Amazon Basin, which concentrates a fifth of the planet’s fresh water.” The general also described the several “Amazons” with their distinct realities, including those areas where deforestation is rife.
Challenges faced by the Brazilian Amazon; Ibama’s initiatives against deforestation; Marist Brothers’ and Federal Police actions in the region as well as the actions of the Brazilian Army in the bordering zones and their contribution for the development and defense of national interests were some of the topics addressed at the event. The seminar featured representatives of the Marist Network, the Brazilian Army, Ibama and the Federal Police, among others.
This discussion provided the impetus for a letter of intent describing the experts’ interpretations as well as institutional management information and legal actions to be taken. The document will be available to everyone in the archives of PUCRS’ Law School. “We’re looking into concrete measures to prevent harms to the Amazon”, says Marcelo Bertoluci, the seminar coordinator and Law School professor of PUCRS.
