Date: Tue, 9 Apr 1996 

Newsletter n. 204

        
 AVA-GUARANI INDIANS MAKE AGREEMENT WITH POWER PLANT

    After 14 years of constant conflicts, the Ava-Guarani Indians in
Parana-Pora, state of Parana, may receive 1,500 hectares from the
binational Itaipu power plant in exchange for the immemorial Indian
area which the plant is occupying. It was a promise made by the
Brazilian director of the plant, Euclides Scalco, as a result of a
meeting with indigenous leaders on March 13. Additionally, Scalco took
on the commitment to donate potable water to the Indians and to let
them plant their crops in a 7-hectare area until the 1,500-hectare
area is cleared.

    The traditional land of the Ava-Guarani was occupied by the plant
in 1992, when the its floodgates began to be closed to form the dam,
flooding part of the indigenous area. So far, Itaipu had not
recognized the existence of an indigenous community in that area and
had done all that it could to remove them to the Paraguayan side.
After many negotiations, the Ava-Guarani population, made up of 300
Indians, was transferred to an area of only 240 hectares.Three years
later, the land, whose size was insufficient to meet their most basic
needs, became unbearably small for a community which, tired of waiting
for a solution, ended up occupying over 622.9 hectares on June 15 of
last year. In this occupation, the Ava-Guarani were supported by
Guarani groups from the states of Sao Paulo, Santa Catarina, Rio
Grande do Sul and Espirito Santo.

    In Cimi's opinion, the promise made by the Itaipu power plant does
not mean that the problem will be solved, but it represents a
remarkable advance in the fight of the community, as for the first
time in 14 years the Binational Plant take on a public commitment to
return to the community an area that was taken from it. The
Ava-Guarani will remain on the alert, as similar promises in the past
were never fulfilled.

             GOVERNOR IS ACCUSED OF THEFT IN INDIAN AREA

    The Office of the Attorney General of the state of Acre filed a
suit against the governor of the state, Oleir Cameli, accusing him of
having stolen 2,700 cubic meters of mahogany from an area belonging to
the Kampa Indians. In addition to Cameli, the accusation involves the
company Marmud Cameli, a former director of Funai, Hissa Abraao, and
Abrao Candido da Silva. According to the attorney general of the
state, Luiz Francisco Fernandes de Souza, the defendants owe an
indemnification of R$ 14 million (about 14 million US dollars) to the
Kampa Indians for the theft of the hardwood and for moral and
environmental damages. The attorney general wants the governor to be
sentenced to reforest the area with his own money. Cameli is the
target of seven investigations being carried out by the High Court of
Judicature. Thirteen additional accusations against the governor will
be referred to the office of the attorney general, which will probably
give rise to a new investigation.  Among other things, the governor is
being accused of smuggling, tax evasion and exploitation of slave
labor.

                       Brasilia, 03 April 1996
                 Indianist Missionary Council - CIMI