Brazil:The Amazon Basin

OUTLINEGeneral InformationEcological ConcernsGuerrilla WarfareDrug TraffickingIndigenous RightsConclusion

Within South America

PERU

BRAZIL

ECUADOR

VENEZUELA

BOLIVIA

COLOMBIA

GUYANA

SURINAM

FRENCH GUIANA

GENERAL INFORMATION World’s largest river basinOrigin is Nevado Mismi, flows eastward,

emptying into Atlantic Basin Countries: Brazil (62.4%), Peru

(16.3%) Bolivia (12.0%), Colombia (6.3%) Ecuador (2.1%)

OTHER PERSPECTIVES

ECOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE“Lungs of our Planet”Capable of absorbing huge amounts of carbon

dioxide2.5 million insect species, 2,000 birds and

mammalsThe diversity of plant species in basin is highest on

EarthOne square kilometer contains over 7,500 types of

trees25% of Western pharmaceuticals are derived from

rainforest ingredients, less than 1% of these tropical trees and plants have been tested by scientists

ECOLOGICAL CONCERNSLogging Agricultural Production - soyCattle Ranching – leading cause of

deforestation in BrazilWater Pollution – primarily from oil mining

DEFORESTATION

Political Actions Brazil – environmental police/reservesPeru – INRENA, National Institute of Natural

ResourcesBolivia – certified forests through FSCColombia – drugs affecting processEcuador – no governmental institutionsTogether – Amazon Cooperation Treaty

Organization (ACTO), OAS

Drug Trafficking in the Amazon

•Brazil•Bolivia•Peru•Colombia

Brazil: What is the Govternment Doing?

Internally - adopted policies that aim to curb drug abuse in the country.

External policy - contributes to the work of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs.

In the Latin American region, Brazil also works with the OAS and its Inter-American Commission on the Control of Drug-Abuse.

Brazilian Government Agencies that Fight Against Drug Trafficking

(SENAD) Brazil’s National Anti-Drug Secretariat is the governmental agency in the country that deals with issues of illegal traffic.

(CONAD) Is the National Anti-Drug Council that carries out the orders of SENAD. CONAD is made up of governmental officials from all branches of govt

Brazil & Drug Trade: Final Considerations

While the Amazon Basin is relatively isolated, it is also accessible via roads and waterways that are controlled by different drug trafficking groups.

Basin transportation arteries are also used to smuggle stolen vehicles, gold, coffee, soy, in exchange for coca, cocaine and arms.

Brazilians place blame for drug problem on US consumption.

Brazil’s involvement in the drug trade in the Amazon Basin is more based on the country’s vast territory being used to transport the drugs to Colombia and other countries.

Bolivia From 1992 to 2000 Bolivia reduced its illegal narcotics

production. In 2001 it was calculated that in the past decade

Bolivia went from 48,000 hectares of coca fields to 22,000.

Destruction of Amazon Basin forest lands due to drug productions is evident in Bolivia.

Slash and Burn has been practiced in over 40,000 hectares of Bolivian forest to clear land for coca production.

PeruIn the 1990’s the Peruvian government

began a plan to eradicate the drug trade and consumption in the country.

Efforts were made not only to stop the trade but to oppose terrorist groups and drug traffickers

Due to these efforts Peru reduced its coca crops by 70.5%. This caused a drop from 115,000 hectares of coca fields in 1995, to 34,000 in 2001.

This operation was made possible with efforts of the Peruvian Air Force as well.

PeruAt turn of century drug traffickers moved

to the coastlines and the waters to traffic the narcotics.

Currently Peru is patrolling the waters, and also engaging in drug raids in the jungle as well as air surveillance.

Colombia

Forests are cleared via slash and burn in Colombia for production of cocaine.

Coca production in Colombia grew by 175% between 1985 and 1989

Additional to the 27,000 hectares of land cleared in the late 80’s there have been an addition 8-10,000 hectares cleared in forest areas in the 1990’s to continue production.

Colombia Plan Colombia - funding from US government to Colombia to

aid in the drug war

United States has spent 3 billion dollars to fuel the war on drugs.

However, one of the problems has been the destruction of the big cartels and the creation of smaller ones which have been harder to target.

The Bush administration is seeking more than $700 million from Congress in counterinsurgency and counter narcotics aid for Colombia in the 2006 fiscal year.

The US currently has 800 US troops stationed in Colombia.

Success a matter of controversy

PLAN Colombia: Limited Success

A total of 33,585 peasant families in Putumayo have already signed voluntary eradication agreements,

receiving alternative development aid from the government. By the end of 2004 16% of all coca fields in Colombia were

eradicated.

Guerrilla warfare in the Amazon: Who is there and what are the countries doing about it?

Guerrilla groups operating within the Basin

Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)

Dislocated over 2,000 indigenous Indians from their homes.

Many different governments trying to reduce their influence

Al-Qaeda in Venezuelan Amazon?

Is it operating in Venezuela? Venezuelan-based web site:

Solicits donationsSeeks to recruit membersVague references to planning attacks

Guerilla violence : Brazil

Brazil-Colombia border largely unmarked

Border also sparsely populated Chemicals for processing cocaine

rumored to come from Sao Paulo industries

May 2002: 1 soldier shot, 2 missing during Brazilian war games

Occidental Pipeline: Colombia • Bombed over 1000 times since 1986

despite U.S. efforts at protection • 2.9 million barrels of crude oil spilled (11

times EXV) • Deprived Occidental and the Colombian

government of:○ 24 million barrels of oil and 266 days of oil ○ Reduces economic incentive of investing in the

pipeline

• Second largest trading partner

• Economic interest in Amazon

lumberminerals

• Road-building• Deforestation

China as an Economic force in the Amazon

Brazil: Controlling the Amazon

In July 2002, Brazil unveiled a new $1.4 billion surveillance system to monitor the Amazon Rainforest

Raytheon wins the contract to build this system

Criticism of the US because of the push for Raytheon to win