Investigation: Illegal sale and purchase of Amazon forest land on Facebook revealed

LEOFFREITAS

learned that parts of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil are being sold illegally on Facebook. The protected areas in Brazil include its national forests and the land that has been set aside for its ancient inhabitants. 

  

Some of the plots or plots of land that are being put up for sale in advertisements posted on Facebook are larger than a thousand football fields. 

Facebook says it is "ready to work with local authorities" but will not take any action to stop the business on its own. 

"Our business site requires buyers and sellers to abide by the rules and regulations," according to the world's largest technology company based in the US state of California. 

  

BRASIL2

The forests of the Amazon, known as the lungs of the world, are being destroyed. 

However, a representative of one of Amazon's ancient communities has called on Facebook to take further action. 

Advertising companies, on the other hand, claim that the Brazilian government is unwilling to block the sale and purchase of plots on Facebook. 

Evanide Bandera, head of Kannada, an NGO working for the protection of the natural environment, says the occupiers of these lands consider themselves so powerful that they are not ashamed of making illegal land deals on Facebook. Are happening. ' 

 

No certificate 

It is so easy to find out about the illegal buying and selling of these plots on Facebook that anyone can go to the Facebook marketplace and type the words 'forest', 'ancient local forest' or 'timber' in Portuguese and If he chooses a place in the Amazon rainforest, he can find the plot. 

Some of the advertisements in the marketplace also show images of the plots taken from the planet and the location of these plots on GPS. 

 

GETTY IMAGES

Cattle are often brought to graze on protected lands in Brazil 

  

Most of the people who sell these plots publicly admit that they do not have any title or document of this land and the only document they provide is the ownership of this land which is that according to Brazilian law the said land belongs to them. Is. 

  

The Brazilian livestock industry is behind this illegal buying and selling of forests. 

  

"No risk" 

  

The rate at which deforestation is taking place in Brazil today is the highest in ten years, and Facebook's marketing site is a place where people like Fabregio Guermari are taking advantage of (these activities are a secret). Filmed with the help of a camera). 

They have burned a piece of wet forest to ashes. "There is no danger of a government official coming here to inspect it," said Fabrique Guermari, walking on the same ground. 

  

GETTY IMAGES

Fabricio is selling land reserved for local communities on Facebook 

  

They have tripled the price of the plot to $35,000 after illegally clearing the area and making it cultivable.   

Fabricio is not a farmer himself. He has a decent job in the middle of the city, but he sees it as a good opportunity to invest in the country's moist forests. 

Following the secret filming, the BBC contacted Fabricio to inquire about the investigation into the case, but he declined to comment. 

  

Secret research 

  

Most of the ads posted on Facebook were about the area of Rodonio, the province in Brazil with the highest deforestation. 

To get to the bottom of the matter, the BBC arranged a meeting with four people from the province who were selling plots. The meeting also included a man who identified himself as an advocate for some wealthy investors. 

  

One of the four men, Alum Souza Elvis, was trying to sell a plot of land in the Uro Yuva Wawa area of about  16,400 POUND for the ancient inhabitants of the Amazon. 

The area is home to 200 members of the tribe. According to the Brazilian government, the area is home to at least five groups of ancient natives who have no connection to the rest of the world.   

But during the meeting, Mr Elvis said: "There are no Indians in the area (according to him). They live 50 kilometers from where my land is located. I will not tell you that they will never be seen walking in this area. 

  

Son Uro Yuva Vuva is trying to protect his community from land grabbers. 

  

The BBC also showed a Facebook ad to the tribe's leader, Batata. He told us that the land shown in the advertisement is in a place where people from his community go hunting, fishing and picking fruits. 

According to him (buying and selling land in this area) shows that none of us are being "considered and considered". 

"I don't know these people," he said. I think their goal is to deforest the land of the ancients, to cut down everything that stands, to cut down our lives like trees. " 

The head of the community added that the authorities should intervene in the matter. He also stressed that Facebook, as the "most used social media platform", should Take action. 

  

Change in land status 

  

Another reason behind this illegal land market is that the people involved in this scam hope that they will be forgiven if they are caught. Mr. Elvis also revealed to us that he was working with some other politicians to get them legal ownership of the stolen land. 

"I tell you the truth. If this does not happen in the presence of President Bolsonaro, then it will never happen. 

The strategy that is usually adopted for illegal occupation of land is first deforestation and then politicians are asked to remove the protected status of the said area as this land is now theirs. It is not fulfilling the purpose for which it was given special status. 

Land grabbers can then buy plots on the land from the government, and thus legalize their claim. 

  

Elom Souza Elvis told the BBC's Secret Service that he was selling the land but did not show any documents. 

  

MR Elvis also took a BBC undercover reporter to meet a man he described as the leader of the Krupira Association. Brazilian federal police say the group is an illegal land grabbing group that operates mainly in areas where the ancient inhabitants of the Amazon live. 

The two men told our reporter that the country's most influential politicians were trying to get them to meet with government agencies in the capital, Brasilia. 

According to these people, their biggest ally is Congressman Colonel Chrysostomo, a member of the same Social Liberal Party, of which Mr. Bolsonaro was also a member, and then in 2019 the incumbent president formed his own party. 

When contacted by the BBC, Colonel Krisostomo admitted that he had helped arrange the meeting, but said he did not know the group was involved in land grabbing. 

"They didn't tell me. If they have taken over the land, they will not help me in the future. " 

 

When asked if he regretted having the appointment, he said, "No." 

  

The BBC also contacted MR Elvis, but he declined to comment. 

  

IGNACIO PALACIOS

One in ten species of plants found on our planet is found in the Amazon 

  

The BBC also contacted MR Ricardo Salis, Brazil's environment minister. 

  

"President Bolsonaro's government has always said that it will not tolerate any kind of crime, including in the field of environment," he said.  

However, the current government has slashed the budget of the country's federal deforestation agency, Obama, by 40 percent, which is spent on officials whose job it is to go somewhere and stop illegal deforestation. 

But MR Salis says the corona virus epidemic is making it harder for law enforcement in the Amazon, and that the responsibility for stopping deforestation lies with provincial governments. 

He added that "this year the government has launched an operation called Verde Brazil Two aimed at curbing illegal deforestation, illegal arson, and the federal government and It is to promote joint efforts between the provinces. 

However, Rondonia-based federal government investigator Rafael Biolakia says the situation has worsened under the current government. 

"The situation is very bad," he said. The country's administrative power is working against us. It's heartbreaking. " 

As far as Facebook is concerned, the company says that it is too complicated for Facebook to draw any conclusions about the land being bought or sold, and that the matter should be referred to local legal bodies and other authorities. Should leave 

  

Facebook added that the issue was not serious enough to stop the sale and purchase of Amazon land in the marketplace. 

  

Ivanide Bandera, who has been fighting deforestation in the state of Ronodonia for the past 30 years, says she is losing hope. "I think it's a very difficult fight," she said. It is very sad to see forests being destroyed and reduced like this. There has never been a time in history when it has become so difficult to keep forests standing.