14 DAY TRIAL // The town of Paragominas was home to incredible scenes on Sunday, as a mob of approximately 3,000, protesting against the federal government's crackdown on illegal logging in the region, took to the streets and opened fire on a shed housing the cars of the federal inspectors. They also stole back the trucks that were confiscated and tried to storm the hotel where the inspectors were sleeping.
Carlos Minc, the Brazilian Environment Minister, says that this course of action on the part of those working above the law will not be tolerated. He urges the Justice Minister to dispatch federal troops to the region, as protests increase with each capture the officials make. The entire area is one of the most dangerous in the country, where illegal activities have been tolerated, to say the least, for a long time.
"On the contrary, we will intensify our actions and punish those responsible. We won't be intimidated," Minc was quoted as saying. He also referred to the city of Tailandia, where protest broke out as early as February. As government officials clamp down on more and more illegal operations, mobs rage on the streets, stealing back what they've already stolen from the largest rain forest in the world today.
Apparently, cattle ranchers and farmers are most responsible for the current situation, as their ever-increasing demand for land has been directly linked to an increase in deforestation throughout the region. As trees fall, they move further into the forest, claiming the cheap land for their own. What was once a thick forest is now a potato plantation or a grazing field for cattle. Endangered animal species are left to fend for themselves.
Authorities in Brazil say that the National Security Force will make its presence felt even more in the region, as inspectors will from now on be accompanied by armed soldiers, that will crack down on those who oppose inspections, or pull out fire arms to "defend" what they've stolen. The Brazilian government must succeed, if the largest rain forest in the world is to have any chance of living on.