Environmental Leaders Threatened with Death
10/22/97
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RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
Headline: Environmental Leaders Threatened with Death
Source: gn:hmafra in cdp:rainfor.genera
APREMAVI
Wigold Schaeffer & Miriam Prochnow
Caixa Postal 218 - Rio do Sul, SC 89160-000
Tel/Fax: 47-821-0326
E-Mail: apremavi@rsol.com.br
Date: 10/22/97
Wigold Schaeffer and Miriam Prochnow, two of the most distinguished and
active leaders of the campaign to protect the Mata Atlantica Rainforests
in the South of Brazil (Santa Catarina State) -- as well as the
environment, generally -- have been threatened with death by persistent,
vicious, anonymous phone calls. This has been going on since last year,
but it has increased in the last few days to the point that it has made it
impossible for them to carry on with their lives and normal activities.
They have a long record of dedication and achievement in the struggle to
protect the environment in Brazil, and are widely acknowledged as two of
the most important leaders of the environmental movement in the country.
The organization they have built with great personal and family sacrifice,
over the last ten years -- APREMAVI -- is an example and a source of
inspiration for the community and civil society at large. APREMAVI has
recently been awarded the Kanitz Prize for being one of the most eficient
non profit organizations in Brazil.
The Brazilian environmental community is VERY concerned about this ominous
threat, because:
1) they live, with their two young children, in a fairly isolated
rainforest region, in the Vale do Itajai, 50 minutes away from the nearest
city, Rio do Sul, where the offices of their organization is located.
2) They have been fairly effective at preventing loggers from destroying
what remains of the Mata Atlantica Rainforest in the State of Santa
Catarina -- thanks to federal laws and regulations (for whose existence
APREMAVI bears great responsability) protective of the Mata Atlantica.
Futhermore, APREMAVI plays a crucial role monitoring the forest reserves
and 'embarrassing' the authorities into law enforcement. They have
received threats in their voice mail in connection with an embargo of
forest logging in the small town of Santa Terezinha. One of them said:
'Tell Wigold and Miriam to keep out of the logging operation in Santa
Terezinha because we are not like the Pamplona -- who just makes threats,
but doesn't carry them out'. Pamplona is one of the 2 meat companies
involved in the pig/fish pond production mentioned bellow.
3) In 1996 they started a campaign against consorciation of large scale
pig production and fish lagoons in the region, which became breeding
grounds for large amounts of mosquitoes, causing health problems of
epidemic proportion amongst the population in the Itajai Vale,
particularly amongst children. In a Public Hearing they participated in to
discuss this matter, the meat industry (two large companies, Pamplona and
Pompeia) that encouraged the project and buys the pigs from the farmers;
the government authorities that granted authorization for the project to
be carried out (State Agriculture Secretary and its research agency) as
well as some other people interested in it -- became so furious with
Miriam and Wigold that both had to be protected by some members of the
Municipal Assembly in order to leave the room. In this particular
occasion, they received many direct, as well as veiled threats against
their integrity.
4) Tobacco growers are very annoyed with them because they can't expand
their cultivated area and therefore (cash) crop production; and real state
developers are frustrated for not being allowed to expand their operations
into forest covered areas -- also on account of those laws mentioned
above.
5) APREMAVI has been denouncing the State government and some of its
agencies for omission or connivence with unlawful environmental behaviour.
In response, the Environment as well as the Agriculture State Secretary
have been inciting the population against APREMAVI in the last few days
(most probably because of the next item).
6) Loggers, farmers and their political representatives are stepping up
the campaign to topple legal mechanisms that have been preventing the
destruction of the last remnants of what used to be one of the largest
rainforests of the world a few decades ago.
7) We are very concerned because it has happened before, in Brazil, twice:
Chico Mendes, in Acre (Amazon Region) and Paulo Vinhas, in Espirito Santo.
It is imperative that the international community TAKE ACTION NOW, to
prevent those threats from becoming reality. It's been 10 years since
Chico Mendes was killed in the Amazon for the same cause. Let's not allow
it to happen again.
CALL UP THE BRAZILIAN EMBASSY IN YOUR COUNTRY !
SEND A FAX TO BRAZILIAN AUTHORITIES !
EXPRESS YOUR CONCERN ABOUT WIGOLD SCHAEFFER AND MIRIAM PROCHNOW'S SAFETY
AND FREEDOM FROM TERRORISM, WHILE STRUGGLING TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT
FOR ALL OF US, AND FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS !
SEND A NOTE TO APREMAVI, AND LET THEM KNOW THEY ARE NOT ALONE !
Write to:
Exmo. Sr. Dr.
Fernando Henrique Cardoso
Presidente da Republica (President)
Palacio do Planalto
Brasilia, DF
Via fax: 61- 224-0289
Exmo. Sr. Iris de Rezende Machado
Ministro da Justica (Justice Department)
Esplanada dos Ministerios
Brasilia, DF
Via fax: 61-322-6817
Exmo. Sr. Luiz Felipe Lampreia
Ministro das Relacoes Exteriores (Foreign Relations)
Palacio do Itamarty
Esplanada dos Ministerios
Brasilia, DF
Exmo. Sr. Paulo Afonso E. Vieira
Governador do Estado de Santa Catarina (State Governor)
Florianpolis, SC
Via Fax: 48-221-3137
APREMAVI
Wigold Schaeffer & Miriam Prochnow
Caixa Postal 218 - Rio do Sul, SC 89160-000
Tel/Fax: 47-821-0326
E-Mail: apremavi@rsol.com.br