We occupied the 3 pulp mills of Aracruz Celulose in the municipality of Aracruz (Espírito Santo state), Brazil, to ask the attention of the public about our land struggle and the lands we took back in May, lands that were in the companies’ hands until May this year.
This multinational has been invading our lands for more than 35 years. The pulp mills were built over the Tupinikim Village of Macacos. We hold Aracruz Celulose responsible for the main problems we have been facing during all these years. It is responsible for the destruction of our rivers, forests and damages to our culture and traditional way of life.
Our action is to:
- protest and communicate to the Federal Government that we do not accept interventions and impositions of Aracruz Celulose in the demarcation process of our lands;
- to remind the Minister of Justice about the urgency to edit the acts that recognize our indigenous lands;
- demand the presence of the President of FUNAI, Mércio Pereira Gomes, to define with us the timetable of the withdrawal of the company from our lands and the deadlines for the definitive demarcation and validation of our lands.
OUR LAND, OUR FREEDOM
October 6 , 2005
Commission of Tupinikim and Guarani Chiefs – Espírito Santo – Brazil