Operation Ágata Fronteira Norte takes over the responsibilities of Operation Yanomami and incorporates measures to increase support to agencies in the fight against illegal mining
Op Ágata Fronteira Norte, by Lieutenant Zóia (MB)
Military personnel from the three Forces – Brazilian Navy (MB), Brazilian Army (EB) and Brazilian Air Force (FAB) – are increasing preventive and repressive actions, on the land border strip and inland waters in Yanomami Indigenous Lands (TIY) with the objective of dismantling the illegal mining practice remaining in the region of the indigenous reserve located in Roraima (RR). To combat illegal mining, monitoring actions will be carried out, such as inspections, surveys, searches, patrols, and the setting up of blockade posts inside the TIY.
The Federal Government formed an inter-ministerial working group (WG) with the mission of planning and undertaking actions with the purpose of neutralizing the illegal activities in the TIY, while at the same time providing humanitarian support to the Indigenous Communities (IC) of the region. The WG includes the Ministries of Indigenous Peoples, Defense, Health, Justice and Public Security, Development and Social Assistance, Management and Innovation in Public Services, and Environment.
As a result of the GT, on June 06, the GM-MD Ordinance no. 3.095, of June 02, 2023, established Operation Ágata Fronteira Norte, under the command of Army General Ricardo Augusto Ferreira Costa Neves. In addition to new functions, the Operation also assumed the duties of Operation Yanomami, deactivated on June 5th, among them the responsibility to continue humanitarian aid actions to the indigenous people.
Interagency Operation
The Agate Operations make up the Federal Government’s Integrated Border Protection Program (PPIF) since 2016 and brings together military personnel under the coordination of the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces (EMCFA). The new Agate Operation will continue the lines of action adopted by the Amazon Joint Operational Command (Cmdo Op Cj Amz), however, with a greater emphasis on the coercive aspect, through the deployment of troops to areas in TIY, increasing the interaction with the Federal Police (PF) and the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Natural Resources (IBAMA), agencies responsible for the enforcement actions against the illegal practice of mining in the region.
On the humanitarian side, Operation Ágata Fronteira Norte will provide support to the agencies responsible for indigenous health policies, such as the Secretariat of Indigenous Health (SESAI) and the Casa de Saúde Indígena (CASAI), and to protect the rights of the Yanomami people, it will provide the necessary support to the National Foundation of Indigenous Peoples (FUNAI).
One of the main objectives of the repressive actions of Operation Ágata Fronteira Norte is to develop proposals for alternatives, in an interagency environment, in order to guarantee the stability of the region on a permanent basis, as well as the security of the territory and care for the indigenous people.
Results of Operation Yanomami
Operation Yanomami came to an end on June 5th, four months after it was established by Presidential Decree 11.405, January 30th, 2023. Through the Cmdo Op Cj Amz, activated on February 3rd and which conducted the actions of the Operation, approximately one thousand bales were launched, and 580 thousand kilos of materials were distributed for the assistance of 40 villages in TIY. Of the materials transported, the most noteworthy were the more than 22,000 food baskets, corresponding to almost 500,000 kilos of food; the 120,000 kilos of asphalt mix, for repairs in the approved airfields; and the displacement of more than 1,000 agents and police officers to the regions of interest, and 250 indigenous people, mainly for health care.
As aircraft were the main means of transport for the activities, Operation Yanomami became one of the largest operations in terms of hours flown by Brazilian aviation. For comparison, Operation COVID-19 recorded approximately 6,000 flight hours in almost two years, amounting to 8 hours of flight time per day. In Operation Yanomami, in just 4 months, the aircraft flew 4,630 hours, with an average of 38 flight hours per day, using about 3 million liters of fuel.
In addition to logistical support, an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) was created over the airspace overlying and adjacent to the TIY, for the control of unknown air traffic. Aiming to allow the voluntary evacuation of the area by the miners, the air corridors were opened in February of this year and closed in April, which reduced by about 95% the traffic of suspicious aircraft that flew over the TIY and contributed to the repression actions of IBAMA and the Federal Police, which, with the support of FAB air transport, rendered eight aircraft inoperable, helping to dismantle part of the remaining mines in the region.
One of the greatest achievements of the military involved in Operation Yanomami was to reach the end of the mission without any accidents involving aircraft or crew. FAB Lieutenant Colonel Luís Felipe de Moura Nohra highlighted the achievement: “During four months of operations, almost 5,000 flight hours and more than 1,000 military personnel employed, Operation Yanomami had no accidents or aeronautical incidents. This demonstrates the commitment and professionalism of the Brazilian military in joint operations, involving the Navy, Army, Air Force and interagency operations.”
Indigenous Health
During the most critical period of the operation, the Air Force Field Hospital (HCAMP) provided 2,121 medical consultations to the Indians. Among the specialties offered, pediatrics had the highest demand (632 patients), followed by clinical medicine (196) and gynecology (152). The main cases diagnosed were: malnutrition at different levels, pneumonia, acute diarrhea, skin diseases, and malaria. With the demands under control, the HCAMP was demobilized on April 21, after 84 days of operation.
Continuity of actions
In order to allow for environmental recovery and to balance the sanitary conditions of the indigenous people of the TIY, Operation Ágata Fronteira Norte aims at the total removal of individuals suspected of illegal practices still present in the TIY and, given the current situation, will continue with humanitarian aid actions, providing logistical support to the Ministry of Health (MS), the Ministry of Justice and Public Safety (MJSP), the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples (MPI), the National Foundation of Indigenous Peoples (FUNAI),IBAMA and other agencies, institutes, foundations and police until its deactivation.
Photos: Op Ágata Fronteira Norte