After having occupied during 30 hours the administrative centre of the Aracruz Celulose company, inside its industrial complex, around 300 Tupinikim and Guarani Indians left the place on 7 October, 15:30hs, agreeing with a meeting with the President of FUNAI, Mércio Pereira Gomes, and the special assistant of the Ministry of Justice, Marcelo Bethar. The President of FUNAI, who sent a message during the occupation that he would come with good news, was also accompanied by the Director of the Land demarcation Department of FUNAI, Arthur Nobre. The occupation did not cause any type of damage to the installations of the company. However, Aracruz adopted a strategy that remember us military dictatorship practices such as filming and photographing
the people present and putting policemen disguised as employees of the company to monitor the indigenous peoples and their supporters.

The meeting between authorities and the Tupinikim and Guarani happened at 17:00hs at the ARCA centre in Aracruz town, at 20 km from the pulp mills complex of Aracruz.  The first speech of the President of FUNAI, presenting some options that could guarantee the demarcation of the Tupinikim and Guarani lands, suggesting even the possibility of restarting the whole process with new anthropological studies, created a lot of revolt among the indigenous. Even worse, not any authority, present at the assembly, guaranteed when a demarcation act of the 11,009 hectares in dispute would be signed by the Minister.

Responding to the disappointing speeches of the authorities, the indigenous chiefs and leaders affirmed that, once again, they were betrayed by the government who should respect them and guarantee in practice their rights, written down in the federal constitution. They also affirmed that, considering the options presented by the President of FUNAI, they prefer a demarcation decree as soon as possible, even if this means that there is a risk of Aracruz going to court to challenge such an administrative act. If not, the indigenous chiefs and leaders promised to struggle for the 40 thousand hectares they have a right to, including the industrial complex of Aracruz Celulose where existed the Tupinikim village of Macacos, before the indigenous territory got invaded by
the company.

After 4 hours of assembly, an understanding was reached that authorities and indigenous peoples should work together to have a well-argued demarcation decree, signed as soon as possible. It was agreed upon that within 15 days a Comission of indigenous chiefs and leaders will meet with the legal specialists of the Ministry of Justice, FUNAI and with the Federal Governments Legal Department (AGU) and the Public Prosecution Service.
Below follows the contents of the minutes of the assembly, that was signed on by the authorities and indigenous chiefs and leaders of all the villages.

The indigenous communities ended this special action, with more strength, showing clearly to the Brazilian government and to the national and international society that to defend the interests of their people and culture they are capable to wage great struggles and challenge multinationals like Aracruz Celulose.

The indigenous communities and all who support their struggle will keep alert on the fulfillment of the promises assumed by the authorities.

 
Contents of the minutes of the Assembly:
Aracruz, 07/10/2005

In a public assembly, indigenous leaders of the Tupinikim and Guarani peoples, together with state and federal authorities, discussed and decided about the issue of their lands, and agreed upon the following:

 1. A commission of indigenous chiefs will be created to go to Brasília in 15 days in order to discuss, together with the legal body of the Federal Government (legal advisors of the Ministry of Justice, the FUNAI and the Federal Governments Legal Department – AGU), and with the Public Prosecution Service, the necessary measures to edict new acts that demarcate the indigenous lands;

 2. The Commission will accompany which measures must be taken to guarantee the legal status of the demarcation decrees;

3. The Federal Government commits itself to make efforts to take all the necessary measures for the preparation of the new demarcation decree, as soon as possible.