Organisations lobby the Senate for the suspension of land regularisation
In a letter to the Chairman of the Senate, Davi Alcolumbre, institutions appeal to his commitment to protecting the environment
Around 60 civil society organisations have sent a letter to the Chairman of the Federal Senate, Davi Alcolumbre, calling for the suspension of voting on issues that could have a destructive impact on the environment, the economy and society, while restrictions are in place on the Senate, due to the coronavirus crisis.
Of the agendas cited, the institutions are drawing particular attention to Provisional Measure 910/2019, that concerns land regularisation that would benefit land grabbers (grileiros) and make illegal deforestation easier in Amazônia.
According to research at the University of Sao Paulo and the Federal University of Minas Gerais, the provisional measure encompasses 43 million hectares of public land – the equivalent of the states of São Paulo and Paraná – in Amazônia Legal.
“In this regard, we remind you of the commitment you made during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 25) in Madrid, in December 2019, to not allow legislative measures that entail setbacks to environmental protection norms and impact on traditional populations, to progress in this House.” A quotation from the document referring to Alcolumbre’s speech.
At that time, the Chairman of the Senate stated: “We will not accept setbacks to environmental policy. We will not discuss issues that could threaten forests and traditional communities.”
