State-run Brazilian energy firm Petrobras has hit growing resistance from Indigenous groups and government agencies to its offshore exploration project. Environmental agency Ibama denied Petrobras a licence for exploratory drilling offshore in the Foz do Amazonas area last year, citing a possible impact on indigenous groups and the sensitive coastal biome.
But Reuters is reporting that a Petrobras appeal for Ibama to reverse its decision has drawn powerful political backing. Indigenous affairs agency Funai asked Ibama regulators in December to run several more studies to assess environmental impacts in the Oiapoque area. In July 2022, the Council of Chieftains of the Indigenous People of Oiapoque, an umbrella group representing more than 60 Indigenous villages in the area, asked federal prosecutors to get involved, claiming a violation of their rights.
Brazilian prosecutors have a mandate to protect Indigenous peoples, often taking their side in disputes with firms or federal and state governments. In September 2022 they recommended that Ibama not issue the licence before a formal consultation of the local communities. However, the ongoing plans to drill offshore are already changing the area.
Reports say waves of migrant workers have arrived looking for jobs in an oil industry that does not yet exist.
Locals have been told of the benefits that Petrobras could bring to Oiapoque, including jobs, tax revenue and social programs. However, many locals say they would rather have a clean environment. When the rivers run low, tides bring in saltwater fish the villagers eat, but some interviewed by Reuters fear it could just as easily bring oil spills. A decision on the future of the area is expected in the next few months.
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