OPAN becomes part of the deliberative councils of Resex Medium Juruá and RDS Uacari

Operation Native Amazon (OPAN) is now part of the Deliberative Councils of two more important Conservation Units in the Southwest of Amazonas: the Medium Juruá Extractive Reserve (RESEX) and the Uacari Sustainable Development Reserve (RDS), both located in the municipality of Carauari.

The inauguration of the new directors took place on April 23 and 24, during the 33rd meeting of the Deliberative Council of Resex Medium Juruá and the 31st Meeting of the Deliberative Council of the RDS Uacari, held in the auditorium of the Municipal Social Assistance Department of the municipality. About 60 people, including counselors and guests, participated in the meeting, which was represented by all communities in the two conservation units, in addition to grassroots organizations and partners. 

two territories, the same river

Council meetings take place together, with a single agenda discussed for the two reservations. “The counselors are the same for the two units, reflecting what was said during the meeting: the only thing that divides the communities is Rio. Substitute in the Councils representing OPAN.

Fruits of a lot of class struggle, awareness and, above all, the union of the riverside population and indigenous peoples, the two conservation units share the same river: the winding Juruá. 

In 1997, the Medium Juruá Extractive Resex was created, on the left bank of the river, covering an area of 286,954.81 hectares and housing more than 2,600 people. In 2005, after years of social articulation, RDS Uacari was born, on the right bank, with 632,949.02 hectares and an estimated population of 1,300 people.

Indigenous and indigenous participation

OPAN started to act for the first time as a counselor for the two conservation units, bringing an important reinforcement to the debate on the indigenous demands in these spaces. ‘The organization also works with extractive populations, contributing to the formulation of consultation protocols and monitoring requests for mining and gas projects in the Juruá gutter. This participation in the councils complements and further strengthens our contribution in the region’, observes José.

Although these are meetings of conservation units councils, the peoples of Madija Kulina, Deni and Kanamari live close to the two UCs, in lands demarcated or not, and establish relationships with these communities. One of the new councilors to take office was the Edson Kulina leadership, representing the indigenous people who fight for the demarcation of the Indigenous Land (TI) Kulina from the Ueré River. The territory, which is still in the process of demarcation, is next to Resex Médio Juruá and RDS Uacari. 

“There is an understanding of the struggle and the history of the different movements. I believe that this is another conducive space for, collectively, to build common forms of management of the use of this environment beyond the official territorial delimitations — Indigenous Land, Resex, RDS, Fishing Agreement – ensured the usufruct exclusive to indigenous peoples and the territorial rights of traditional communities”, reflects José Cândido.

History of participation in councils 

In addition to Resex Medium Juruá and RDS Uacari, OPAN is also part of the Deliberative Councils of the Resex Ituxi and Medium Purus, both in the southwest of the Amazon. It has also been part, since 2018, of the Advisory Council of the Juruena National Park, in Mato Grosso, which has an overlap with the Apiaká do Pontal and Isolados TI.