Amazonie : les Indiens en guerre

Amazonie : les Indiens en guerre

In the heart of the Amazon, a plant ocean gets lost in the horizon. Only the tributaries of the Amazon, come to draw mysterious lines. Real benchmarks for pilots of the Brazilian army, who navigate this labyrinth jungle. It is the lungs of the earth, one of the greatest sources available oxygen.

Only here, this immensity green the size of Europe, is threatened with extinction in the next 30 years. Its destruction would have incalculable consequences, on the planet’s climate. So, Commander Mahoro and his team, are on a mission in the bowels of this fortress. They are responsible for chasing the outlaws who massacre the forest.

And here are these lands, devastated by the hand of man. The equivalent of a territory big like France, which has already been deforested over the last 20 years. Every minute disappears a patch of forest, equivalent to size of 8 football fields. The unit of measurement deforestation in Brazil.

In the middle of the jungle, the commander sees a of these razed lands. Look, the equivalent again of a football stadium. And another one here, It’s the World Cup! Look, they are everywhere! The guy who does this, he’s a son of a bitch, because it destroys land which does not belong to him.

The men plunder one of the last earthly paradises, to extract precious wood. And this is how we destroy the forest with a chainsaw. This lumberjack cuts down a mahogany trunk, a rare essence which is resold more expensive than a kilo of ***. The commander discovers in the middle of a clearing,

Clandestine coal kilns. Once the value trees have been extracted, we carbonize the rest. The final stage of deforestation. A few kilometers away, gold miners attack the bowels of the earth, a ravaged area by an illegal gold mine. Take GPS coordinates and photos too. See if we can access it by the road.

A village was created around of the mine with its lot ecological disaster, like its open-air ponds, polluted by different chemical products. D***, prostitution, it’s an illegal gold mine. Deforestation out of control. And one of its fiercest predators, the new green gold. Because Brazil has become in a few years,

The homeland of cattle, biofuels and soy. Intensive agriculture is responsible for more than 40% of deforestation every year and once the looting has been carried out, it’s the turn of those we nickname the guerrillas to intervene. The large operators agricultural causes, gigantic arsons, with the aim of invading state lands.

In their sinister conquest, mercenaries are sometimes, confronted with the inhabitants of the forest, Indian tribes living in communities in demarcated reserves, as was the case in May 2008. Images of rare violence were able to be shot by an Indian Makushi, victim of a full-blown assault. Surround them, take them from behind!

You disrespect us! A handful of hitmen called here pistoleros, sows terror. No less than eleven injured by bullets, on the occasion of this clash. Indigenous lands in Brazil, it’s twice the size of France, a territory in prey to all desires. The Amazon is the scene of a of the last ecological Wild West,

Of the planet. And among the actors of this war hidden in the heart of the jungle, the Kayapo Indians. At their head, they repress one of the best pilots in the Amazon. They decided to police themselves in their reserve. Hello, I have my fisherman’s card. I’m just here to… Okay that’s good ?

I’m looking for those who fish in the reserve so that they can come out. Reserve, we are not allowed to fish. This is the beginning of the reserve, you have no right. Only outside. Ok, we have the right to fish just after the reserve border.

You will also get to know one of these Amazonian timber operators, Mauricio Lorenzolli, one of the godfathers of the forest. These people from the capital, these ecologists, these NGOs, they don’t know anything. They think that cutting a tree is a crime. But that’s absurd! This tree is deficient.

He is sick, he is going to die. If we do not take advantage of what God gave us, which is good, Before long, we will all die of hunger. Everyone is going to die! And the NGOs who poison the life of Mauricio, here they are. Greenpeace, a regular NGO punch operations,

Against illegal exploitation. The leader of this organization, Paulo Adario, an eco-warrior threatened with death. Our mission is one of the most difficult, environmental organizations. We are on a border for show the problems here and denounce the guilty. And this is where we take risks, because we have already received threats death, serious threats.

But since last February, There’s panic in the forest. Brazilian police decided to track down, all operators outlawed wood. Commissioner Orkiz and Commissioner Glauber, were sent to the front. It’s a 12 gauge rifle. Short distance, but devastating effect. I use it if necessary, but above all, he is there to intimidate.

It works, people stop to cut wood illegally. This is what is happening to happen now. Will Orkiz and Glauber succeed? to restore some order, in this lawless Amazon? A mission far from won. Our investigation at the heart deforestation, begins on the Trans-Amazonian. The mythical route of colonization,

Penetrates the forest on several thousands of kilometers. Direction Altamira, in the heart of Brazil. The capital of this Far West is located in the state of Parà, the most devastated region of the Amazon. Altamira is designed in the American style, a quadrilateral of streets on clay, intersecting at right angles.

Placed on the banks of the Xingu River, one of the main tributaries of the Amazon, Altamira did not exist on the map about thirty years ago. On its edges, the jungle has given way, to peasant huts without land, who come in hope to work, in illegal exploitations. This town of barely 50,000 souls,

Symbolizes conquest from the Amazonian El Dorado, with a chainsaw. Crossed along the way, Emerson, posted at the entrance to his garage, is one of these pioneers. 22 Long Rifle in hand, he trains in the street, for precision shots. To be afraid, people here are really scared.

I live, I work here and I come back every evening at my house before midnight. Thank God my garage is full of trucks and until now, I didn’t have a problem. More than 2000 kilometers away from the capital, the isolation of Altamira made it the paradise of outlaws.

Cowboy boots and cowboy hat are the required outfits. We count no less a hundred sawmills, in the city and its surroundings. Half the economy is linked to that of wood. For decades, deforestation was encouraged by Brazil. Exploitation of a plot of forest was worth a title of ownership.

But in the early 2000s, the rules have changed. Today, 80% of production wood is illegal. The majority of sawmills are therefore outside the law. A problem for those which were formed, a real fortune in this sector, like Mauricio at the head of a timber empire. And that’s okay for the United States.

This and that, these palettes. There are some who go to Spain, others for China. We sent that to Italy. There is wood which costs $1000, 1500, 2000 like this wood. There is wood at all prices. At least, here, It’s worth $1 million. And as in any good Wild West town,

Sunday is rodeo day. Brasil, it’s the other cowboy country. The reason is simple, Brazilians have recently become the largest cattle breeders in the world, with livestock of 200 million heads. There are those who try to take the beast with the lasso and the others, who confront cachaça, a local sugar alcohol.

But on quiet days of this Eldorado, could well be counted. Brazil has just hired, a police operation unprecedented. Codename: Arc of Fire. That morning, the federal police storms into Altamira. No less than 150 federals came, to clean up the area. At the head of one of the units mobile, Commissioner Glauber,

Came to fight with the timber mafias. He’s looking for the boss of this small furniture factory. – Madame Éléonore? – Yes it’s me. Madam, bring the papers from the factory, please. No, I don’t have any documents. You do not have operating license? But you are the one who exploits.

No, I don’t exploit anything. I rented to other people. You have the contract rent ? No, I have nothing at all. This is my land, These are my machines too. I rented everything from someone. What is the person’s name? Who did you rent the premises to?

What do you want to know ? Her name ? What is it called that person ? – It’s Mr. Carlinhos. – We have to look for Carlinhos! Fake address, the boss doesn’t live there and the feds are not welcome. Glauber is a rascal, he won’t let go.

Bandits to arrest, there is no shortage of them in Altamira. The boss of this little local sawmill, is suspected of exploding its sales quotas. Little visit to these premises to check his accounts. What wood stock do you have? I don’t know, I don’t know my entire stock. And who is your supplier?

I do not know either. My husband does the shopping. And what species do you have in stock? The types of wood we have in stock, it’s my employees who know, I don’t know. I ask you what species of wood you have in stock. What species of wood? It’s necessary ask my employee Carlos.

And how many cubic meters? We roughly know the species. But the quantity, no. What we have, that’s all you see here. We’re going to count the stocks and we will make the comparison. Can someone accompany him? – Do you have a meter? – Yes of course. Hold.

The men in green, it’s the environment brigade. They will do the math of these stocks of wood, to check if they match to the authorized quotas. Feds found documents falsified to sell more wood, than is permitted to him. The accounts don’t fall right and the boss starts to break down.

A common crime In the region, but a crime that pays dearly. This business leader will go in immediate appearance. Tonight she will sleep in prison. On the banks of the Xingu River, facing the town of Altamira, the feds installed their headquarters, center of Operation Arc of Fire.

It is constantly monitored by special forces battalions, the soldiers of the nation came as reinforcements. The feds, it’s a bit like the FBI, the state police, an elite supposed to be incorruptible, whose mission is to ensure respect the law in a big country, like 14 times France.

And for Glauber, the massacre has only just begun. He runs the operation, accompanied by Commissioner Orkiz. They are on a renewable mission 45 days in the region. We are in the center of Operation Arc of Fire. This is the headquarters. Well, it’s a bit improvised. This place is not ours.

It is lent to us by a private company. This is where we have our information services, criminal investigations. When a prisoner is brought here, he is questioned, as is the case at the moment. It’s a mobile base that we can disassemble in less than 6 hours.

And like that, we can go In another town, without being noticed too much. Operation Arc of Fire, was born from the alarming increase of these red dots, one more pioneering front 4,000 kilometers, which represents deforested areas over the last 20 years. The missions are determined by the intelligence services which,

Thanks to satellite images in real time, identify areas that are being ravaged. Several hundred illegal sawmills are in the crosshairs of the feds. And the chase along the Trans-Amazonian is just beginning. That morning, Commissioner Orkiz goes hunting in the forest. Commissioner Orkiz, speak.

These sawmills in this region are a little far from everything. And they always armed guards, a sort of private security. We always leave with 20 people in this type of mission, to avoid any type of ambush. In-depth missions which can last several days. 200 kilometers from Altamira,

Commissioner Orkiz’s 4x4s sink on a parallel track. And suddenly, they discover clues, freshly turned over earth, trees cut out on the lower side and a truck trying to escape to the sound of sirens. The driver doesn’t want to stop. Commissioner Orkiz changes his method.

Get out of the truck. And you, go search it! Where do you come from ? Where do you come from with your cargo of wood? I come from a legal extraction zone and my truck broke down. You come from Altamira this way and you don’t have nothing to do on this track.

Bring the papers. He must have made at least 2 or 3 trips already during the day. Where do you get this illegal wood from? – Where did you get this wood? – No, it’s not illegal. Why didn’t you stop? Because the truck has a problem. It is down.

I have to stop to repair it. I can’t leave it in the middle of the road. The police do not believe not to breakdown. They think he tried to flee. And these wood transport documents are not in order. Orkiz will try to move up the chain.

At dawn, the Amazon is revealed on the shores of Altamira, starting point for all wilderness expeditions, it is also the path of outlaws and smugglers, wanted by the feds. Like Fernando, the Garimpeiro. He’s one of those gold diggers who run through the forest, in search of the precious vein.

For me the gold mine is mixed with people’s hope and dream. You have your destiny in your hand and when you are in a new mine, every day is good. But it’s true that sometimes we have all wrong because of pollution. You devastate the landscape, you disfigure the region.

Gold digger has always been a little respected activity. We are outside the law. Fernando is one of the pioneers. He has been traveling for 20 years the meanders of the Amazon, to go to clandestine mines. And gold fever started again, because the price of the nugget has tripled his last seven years.

And here is the lost expression deep in the jungle, 40 kilometers from Altamira. On top of a hill, Fernando has to go to the office, a hole dug into the side of a mountain. There you go, here is a hole, an underground mine. People work at a depth of 25 meters.

They have already broken through more 100 meters in the rock. For these convicts of the depths, you have to dive into this well. Their faces are protected by makeshift masks, to filter charged air rock dust, unbreathable air. Inside, a maze of galleries more or less consolidated. Collapse threatens at every moment.

– And there, you’re not afraid of anything? – No, I am not afraid. Is there no security here? Safety is what you see. We assure it ourselves. And you don’t have a contract? No, we work on percentage, we get 20% of what we find. To reach the vein,

We still have to go down in the mine lair. The temperature is 50 degrees, the air more and more unbreathable and the infernal noise. These young garimpeiros are performing the rock with a jackhammer, in the hope of seeing it shine the precious yellow metal. In these conditions, they condemn their bronchi

And their eardrums in the short term. What’s your name ? Francisco. Is the work hard here? Yes, it’s hard. How do you know if it’s not dangerous to dig there? Here, we don’t know, it could collapse at any moment. And you, you work everything time at the bottom of the mine?

Yes, all the time, it’s our job. And how much can you earn? It depends, there are months when some earn well, others nothing at all. This is how we live here. These young desperado victims gold fever, tirelessly dig the mountain in search of a better future. Outside, spread over ten hectares,

The mine has cleared the jungle. A brackish lake signal the waters saturated with chemicals. Until then, Fernando and his miners were never really worried, in their activity. Look at. I can not tell you, so far it’s calm and we’ll see how long. This mine has already been closed 2, 3 times,

But then she leaves again, people come back to work. For the moment, it’s the federal police and there is no shortage of reasons. No papers, illegal work, lands that belong to the state, mercury pollution. Reasons for closing do not miss. And who pays the fine if there is a problem ?

Until today, miners never paid the fines. We’ll see how long… Total impunity for these gold prospectors. No owner or manager. The rock is here pulverized to be then filtered through these sieves, which are used to recover gold dust. Everything is at stake in this little box next to the safe.

Fernando collects the gold in recent days, to carry out the weighing, before the attentive gaze of a Garimpeiro. These few grams will the object of sharing, between Fernando and his men. Miners must harvest a minimum of gold per month, to pay the owner of the machines. Little lesson in clandestine business.

The mine has its limits. If you produce a kilo of gold per month, you balance the books. If you produce less, then you have debts. And if you produce more, it pays the debts. The rest goes to the mechanic, In my opinion and for the owner of the machines.

If debts accumulate, we quickly slip into slave labor. At the foot of the mine, an improvised alley and a few boxes to accommodate families. There are more than 300,000 garimpeiros like Pedro, to work in these Eldorados of Fortune, real valve which serves to evacuate the poverty of big cities.

I don’t have a job in town, I didn’t go to school. You have to work to survive. I live here with my family and I can win €300, sometimes €500 per month. These are the stars of the sky, because I have faith in God.

For a world of gold, they destroy a piece of paradise. In the heart of this jungle without borders, territories which belong from the origin to the Indians. They are now at the mercy chemical releases, dumped by miners. A few days away from boats, the Kayapos are the first victims of this fever,

Which took over the Amazon. People of hunter-fishermen, they live to the rhythm of nature. Their village is made up of around thirty huts with straw roofs, which shelter 70 souls. As a show, they cover each other ephemeral paintings, inspired by animal ornaments. Irhéprim is the son of the chief of this semi-nomadic tribe.

This is a new village. All this, we are in the process to build it. This is my father’s house. First village chief. His father is one of these Indians, witnesses of the first contact with white people in the 60s. Several generations live together under the same roof. Stuck between two worlds,

They try to preserve their ancestral cultures and to resist the offers of the settlers who wish to plunder their Eden. Wood cutters entered in contact with me. White people wanted to offer me money to deforest, but I don’t like it. I do not want.

The gold prospectors also came to propose to me to exploit the Earth, but I did not accept. Today, our lands are well demarcated and I am calmer. And if the Kayapos survived until this day, it’s also thanks to their reputation. It is one of the ethnic groups the most warriors of the Amazon

And they know how to be respected. They patrol their reserves of more than 50,000 square kilometers, to intercept possible intruders. Irhéprim is in charge. He is one of the few pilots who knows navigate this maze of waterways. There is an invasion of farmers, gold prospectors, wood cutters.

The federal police are in the process to stop them, They’re here for that. The operation is welcome In the region. They will take bandits, thieves. Finally, they do their job. The Kayapos are the police on their own lands. Suspicious boats are boarded and their passengers interviewed. Where are you going with your boat?

We are going in this direction. We are looking for people who are in the process to fish in the region. It’s forbidden to fish in the indigenous reserve, only outside. But above the reserve, there, can we still fish? Above you can. These are a priori only simple goods conveyors. They must not linger.

Now you’ve been warned, okay? There are more than 700,000 Native Americans zero to live in the Brazilian Amazon, on indigenous lands larger than France. These are the last guardians of this immense primary forest. Rifle slung over the shoulder, the kayapos go in search of tapir, armadillo,

Or more dangerous, the queen of the forest, the panther. Kingdom of biodiversity, he resides here most large number of species, not yet listed. To hunt, they must sink in this hostile nature, where only they know how to find their way. Their destiny is linked to that of the forest.

They owe their survival to the resources of nature. If the tribe remains the owner of an immense territory, its future does not appear no less dark. A hydroelectric dam is planned, not far from the Irhéprim reserve Everything here will be swallowed up. The river, the forest, All this will disappear.

Where are we going to live? Above water ? In bamboo houses? Today we do not accept the construction of this dam. If it is built, it will bring diseases. The river will be polluted and the sunken forest. And we won’t know where to live anymore. It’s truly sad.

People came to explain to us that the dam is going to be good for us. You will see, you will have work, it’s going to be good. For us, no. There will be no work. It will be just for white people. White people will have work, they will buy cars, motorcycles

And the Indian will have nothing, he will receive nothing at all. It’s the calm that comes before the storm, because the situation will suddenly degenerate. A new concrete wall must see the light of day, like the pharaonic projects built in the 70s, like the Tucurui Dam. Return to Altamira,

Who will know new difficult moments. The Indians are on a war footing. We don’t want the dam on the Xingu River! We want the water to stay clean for drinking and bathe our children. The Indians are angry. They know that their existence is in danger. They arrived last May,

One of the largest gatherings of Indians that Brazil has never known. Kayapo, Yawalapiti… There are more than 4,000 of them from different communities. These sons of armed warriors machetes, bows and arrows, came to protest against the dam. They enter a gymnasium where the engineer in chief came to convince them,

Benefits of this project which must ultimately produce 20% of electricity in Brazil. We will present the project to you hydroelectric dam, of the Rio Xingu River. What was the objective of this large study presented? This was precisely the question environment, energy, of ecology. The 57 indigenous lands and conservation units,

Were taken into account in our impact study. What we demonstrate is that the mode of life of local populations, can continue. Caught in the clutches of the race energy of the white world, Indians don’t understand the expert’s arguments. The alter-globalizationists begin to scream in the room. The Indians launch in a war dance,

Which will quickly degenerate. The engineer is overwhelmed by the crowd movement. Lynched with machetes, the organizers are trying to avoid the worst. This engineer has become the symbol, of this clash of civilizations. He must be repatriated urgently. The car is there. Go ahead, put it in the car! Calm down !

An investigation was opened to find the person responsible for the machete attack. But during this time, the feds continue their jungle investigations. Intelligence services Helicoptered, identified an illegal sawmill In the heart of the forest. On the ground, Commissioner Orkiz is guided by the GPS point. here are the coordinates illegal sawmilling.

Three degrees of latitude, ten of longitude. He arrives at a factory with a ranch look, where there no longer seems to be a living soul. Fresh wood waste, demonstrate the activity recent sawmill. The gloves remained on the workbench. The workers left hastily. Commissioner Orkiz finds an employee in a small premises.

It seems to be a straw man responsible for welcoming them. Hello, Commissioner Orkiz. Where is the owner? He’s not here. He lives in town. Where do you know him from? It’s been five years. – Are you one of the partners? – No, I’m just an employee. Do you just work with him?

The real boss is hidden in town. He is criticized for not having authorization to cut wood. Those responsible for deforestation are often far from the sites and the men they employ. We wonder what we will become! It’s not just us, it’s the whole region. What will happen? It’s absurd.

An absurdity for these workers, who are very often only the goats emissaries of a system that goes beyond them. The real culprits are elsewhere. Return to Altamira. The thirty sawmills that line the city are visited. Most are traffic related illegal timber. It’s the whole sector which will be dismantled.

From small hands to wholesalers. The ball of the accused is just getting started. It is the turn of the one we nickname here the Thai. It ensures traffic logistics. Clearly, he is suspected of managing the export of illegal timber. But the best catch of the day, one of the region’s bigwigs,

It’s Mauricio Lorenzolli, said the Italian. No less than 3 important sawmills and many farms outlaws are to his credit. A true baron in the region. Mauricio will not let this happen, thanks to his lawyer, he won’t go to jail tonight, but his destiny as boss wood is compromised. The times are changing.

Yesterday’s pioneers have become enemies of the state. The impunity that allowed them for many years, to prosper is over. Mauricio is 55 years old. He is about to serve a sentence 18 months of imprisonment and sees his empire collapse. For my life, thank God, I have enough to survive.

But for my employees, It’s not the same thing. They came to see me. Mauricio, are we going to have to fly? I tell them : “Steal, but don’t kill anyone.” Yesterday there was a robbery. They stole a motorcycle and killed its driver. How many people will commit suicide,

Because they don’t have the courage to fly? They won’t have the courage to get out of it. Mauricio plays the victim card, in the face of repression who hits his city. He accuses these strangers to the Amazon, to ignore the reality of the problem. The amount of my fine has reached today €800,000.

And you will pay? No, I’m not going to pay because I am not in error. I will defend myself. If justice is blind, I will be penalized. But if her eyes are wide open to have a good trial, I’m going to win. In all courts, justice is sold.

She is a woman with a blindfold, Endemic corruption in the region and the temporary presence of the feds, will perhaps not stop the vigor underground business. Brazil has let this happen for too long. It’s the entire economy of the region which is linked to trafficking.

Illegal forest loggers are not at the end of their troubles, because 500 kilometers from Altamira, in Manaus, nerve center of the Amazon, it is here that the conquest of the forest began in the 19th century. Environmental defenders, even more uplifted that the police are at work. This is the NGO Greenpeace.

Their HQ is located in this building protected like a bunker. You have to go in front of cameras and through a secure airlock, to meet Paulo Adario and his team. Charismatic wrestling character against deforestation, he received many death threats. This is where they prepare their kamikaze operations.

They have the same tools as the feds, satellite databases and all-terrain equipment, but it is a pacifist organization. These cars are armored. There, for example, we came under fire. The ball hit here and it came out that way, which shows that our shielding is effective. These boxes are prepared with equipment,

Destined to go to the forest at any time. Because we work in very dangerous places. All Greenpeace members have this type of equipment. And there you have all the equipment necessary to survive in the forest. You have the mosquito repellent. Fishing equipment, a first aid kit with all the hardware inside.

And that’s not a weapon. That’s a hazard light. If you’re lost, you shoot the rocket in the forest and sometimes, this also serves to keep the panthers away. Not only to locate yourself, but also to scare wild animals. And that is war equipment, because there is a war there.

That’s a bulletproof vest. It is very light. He protects us from armed attacks. As you can see, this is a ball revolver caliber 9 mm. Normally she is like that. There is a war there. It’s a shame, we are a pacifist organization and we have to use material of war to defend ourselves.

Because the government does not does not protect sufficiently. One of the new battlefields from Greenpeace, intensive soy crops and biofuel, who would be 40% responsible. deforestation today. It is on this that is partly based the growth of Brazil, a system dominated by giants of agribusiness.

This is evidenced by the presence of this immense warehouse that Cargill would have installed illegally on the banks of the Amazon River. Cargill, a company that weighs 100 billion euros in turnover. Greenpeace accuses him of encouraging the massacre of the forest. The target of these slightly crazy ecologists,

These port facilities to display banners, denouncing Cargill abuses in the Amazon. A high-flying operation, because port employees do not share not the same point of view. Cargill is one of the largest employers in the region. The members of the NGO are molested. Some are on the verge of drowning. We must help them.

Take the camera with you. I’m taking him to the boat! Their attempt seems doomed to certain failure. Locals come as reinforcements. But that would be without counting on the intervention of the federal police, which, this time, is on the other side. The Greenpeace ship that is trying to block the terminal,

Is attacked by port tugs. He will even be boarded by law enforcement. A stunt gone wrong, but who nonetheless made things move consciences. Brazilian justice has decided recently closed, Cargill port facilities, in order to assess their impact on the environment. Paulo Adario can be satisfied of this punch operation. Meanwhile, in Altamira,

The third act plays out of this tropical western. Head to the center retention of the city. The bosses of the local sawmills, continue to fill the prison already overloaded. As a result, there is a resurgence violent acts, in the region following layoffs masses of small woodworkers.

In one month of activity, the feds closed it, 75% of local sawmills. Today it’s Mauricio’s turn to fire his staff. The 30 employees of one of its sawmills were summoned, to receive what will be maybe their last paycheck. Everyone come this way, it’s cooler in this area.

We are going to do the following thing, we will pay everyone’s paid leave. And I want to kindly thank you. Take care. Don’t do stupid things. Don’t fall into despair and thank God every day. We never wanted work outside the law. If we are wrong, it’s because of the government,

Who inspired us to work in hiding. We do not know what will happen to us. It’s a whole world about to collapse. The massive repression and brutality of the feds, paralyzes the local economy. The little hands who came in search of better life are forcibly returned,

To a misery that they have always tried to escape. For some, that’s all a life of work that pays off, by this little compensation check and a lot of resentment. All the people in line are work colleagues! They all have families to feed! We survive here! If this stops, we’re liquidated.

What are we going to live on? We’re going to go out and rob people. We can’t do that. Social chaos is on the way to settle in the region. And as evidenced by the situation in Altamira prison, a mutiny has just broken out. Right next to the men in balaclavas,

Mutineers took hostage members of the prison staff. A state of emergency is declared. Special forces must intervene to clean up. Prisoners’ wives sink into despair. The police have invaded the prison! They are going to kill the prisoners. If they returned, it’s for killing, that’s for sure.

There will be deaths. They will kill them! Their method, renowned particularly aggressive, knocks down the rebels. Ambulances arrive urgently to evacuate the first victims, of the taking of hostages. Four police officers were seriously injured. We don’t know the number wounded among the mutineers. Local authorities, didn’t let us in in Altamira prison.

The next day is a big part of the inhabitants of Altamira, who came to demonstrate in front of the base of the federal police. They are angry with the policy of the Lula government. Considered pioneers yesterday, they have now become outcasts of Brazilian society. Workers and notables came dressed in black,

To signify the mourning of their city, like Mauricio, that we find among the crowd. We want to show the death of the city, the death of the Trans-Amazonian, the death of the Amazonian people, the death of our workers. The major problem is social chaos who will settle here, in the city.

While the demonstrators start to get angry, the federal helicopter patrols, to spot possible agitators. We fear the worst. Some plainclothes police officers are in the crowd. Commissioner Orkiz is a little stressed. Hunter, if you have finished the images, you can return to base. His colleague Glauber is more sure of himself.

We hope that the demonstration will be peaceful and that they will respect democracy and the rule of law. You are not afraid ? No, if there is a problem, we will solve it. And how ? We will use whatever force is necessary but I believe it will not be necessary.

And yet he still appealed some reinforcements behind the scenes. In ambush, an anti-riot unit is ready to intervene, in case of overflow. At their head, Captain Bianchini. He explains his working methods to us. And that’s a gas rifle which shoots at 180 meters. It depends on the shooter.

This is a twelve caliber in which we put plastic ammunition. The 305, an explosive grenade, which also releases gas. This one only makes noise. But a very loud noise. This white one also explodes, but she has no gas. This is the first one we use in the event of a riot.

This demonstration says a lot on the gap that separates, the central government and local interests, often bonded by the authorities in place. Regional politicians come to harangue the crowd. You know how much it costs this Operation Arc of Fire? 100 million euros! 100 million euros. There are more than 25,000 people Unemployed.

We have no other alternative for employment. The federal police will leave shortly. There will only be chaos left, that the complaints, only tears to cry. It marks life people forever. It is important that the police federal includes, that we have permanent residents here. Those who are guilty must pay for their fault!

We must not generalize, We are not all bandits! To try to bring the two camps together, nothing like the national anthem. Remind everyone that they have the same homeland that they must be united faced with major challenges, that Brazil must face. Save the lungs of the planet from the clutches of human colonization,

Before it is irreversible. Faced with the climate emergency and international pressure, Lula’s government plans to call for military reserves. No less than 25,000 men are present in the four corners of the forest. Their elite unit, jungle commandos. Trained to be able to intervene in any place,

From the Amazonian space in less than 24 hours. Their war techniques are renowned throughout the world. Commandos from all countries, come to train with them. Which country do you come from ? – Argentina, Sergeant instructor. And we’ve already heard cleaning weapons there? Yes, Drill Sergeant. Their mascot, the spotted panther,

Only one man allows himself to caress her. Colonel Baros, at the head of the center commando training. The jungle for the panther, it’s my house. And we are warriors of the jungle. We must look for the same qualities natural resources available to this animal. And we’re constantly looking for that.

The panther is really the best hunter. And here is one of the laws of the jungle: Always think like a hunter. And never as a victim. Trained in techniques tropical guerrilla warfare, they also use buffalo to move. The only animal capable of going into the the most remote corners of the jungle,

They can survive independently For many months, in this hostile universe. The Lula government wishes transform these elite units, into future forest rangers. They could see each other soon assign a new mission, protect the Amazon against its own citizens. An idea that does not please necessarily to the military.

It’s true that we have problems. We recognize that we have problems. But if no one should touch the Amazon and the 25 million people who live here, how will they live? And these 25 million people do not have neither does the right to destroy the forest.

That’s the big question. It’s here the balance that must be found. But the army will not solve the problem alone. It’s much more complex than that. NOW, we are part of a democracy. If what was decided by our government is to attack, we will accomplish our mission.

On the scale of a continent country, the task is immense. It is at dawn that men of Colonel Baros, set off again on a mission to the Amazon. Facing the dramatic perspective to see it disappear, the largest tropical forest in the planet in the next 30 years,

Brazil is committed in a repressive solution, which perhaps announces the first ecological warfare of the 21st century.

Rio Xingu : le barrage de Belo Monte est le troisième plus grand barrage du monde, censé approvisionner en énergie la croissance du Brésil. Ce chantier pharaonique se trouve à la frontière du plus grand territoire indigène au monde. Plus de 20 000 indiens, une cinquantaine d’ethnies vivent autour du fleuve Xingu ; ils n’ont jamais été aussi près de l’extinction. Une armada de bulldozer creuse la terre et fait table rase de la forêt.
Les indiens en colère sont récemment passés à l’attaque, ils ont pris d’assaut le chantier. Les ouvriers se sont aussi révoltés contre les conditions de travail, détruisant les machines et une partie des locaux.
L’arrivée massive de 30 000 hommes a bouleversé la petite ville d’Altamira où le trafic a explosé. Des bataillons de militaires ont été appelés en renfort pour lutter contre le chaos qui s’installe. Au cœur du Far West brésilien, chronique d’un cauchemar écologique sur fond de choc des civilisations.
Réalisateur : Bouchet Alexandre