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Brazil: The Amazon Basin

Brazil: The Amazon Basin. OUTLINE. General Information Ecological Concerns Guerrilla Warfare Drug Trafficking Indigenous Rights Conclusion. Within South America. VENEZUELA. GUYANA. SURINAM. FRENCH GUIANA. COLOMBIA. ECUADOR. BRAZIL. PERU. BOLIVIA. GENERAL INFORMATION.

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Brazil: The Amazon Basin

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  1. Brazil: The Amazon Basin

  2. OUTLINE • General Information • Ecological Concerns • Guerrilla Warfare • Drug Trafficking • Indigenous Rights • Conclusion

  3. Within South America VENEZUELA GUYANA SURINAM FRENCH GUIANA COLOMBIA ECUADOR BRAZIL PERU BOLIVIA

  4. GENERAL INFORMATION • World’s largest river basin • Origin 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%)

  5. OTHER PERSPECTIVES

  6. ECOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE • “Lungs of our Planet” • Capable of absorbing huge amounts of carbon dioxide • 2.5 million insect species, 2,000 birds and mammals • The diversity of plant species in basin is highest on Earth • One square kilometer contains over 7,500 types of trees • 25% of Western pharmaceuticals are derived from rainforest ingredients, less than 1% of these tropical trees and plants have been tested by scientists

  7. ECOLOGICAL CONCERNS • Logging • Agricultural Production - soy • Cattle Ranching – leading cause of deforestation in Brazil • Water Pollution – primarily from oil mining

  8. DEFORESTATION

  9. Political Actions • Brazil – environmental police/reserves • Peru – INRENA, National Institute of Natural Resources • Bolivia – certified forests through FSC • Colombia – drugs affecting process • Ecuador – no governmental institutions • Together – Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO), OAS

  10. Drug Trafficking in the Amazon • Brazil • Bolivia • Peru • Colombia

  11. 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.

  12. 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

  13. 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.

  14. 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.

  15. Peru • In 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.

  16. Peru • At 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.

  17. 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.

  18. 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

  19. 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.

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

  21. 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

  22. Al-Qaeda in Venezuelan Amazon? • Is it operating in Venezuela? • Venezuelan-based web site: • Solicits donations • Seeks to recruit members • Vague references to planning attacks

  23. 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

  24. 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

  25. China as an Economic force in the Amazon Second largest trading partner Economic interest in Amazon lumber minerals Road-building Deforestation

  26. 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

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