The
production and export of
iron ore from
Brazil's leading
iron ore miner, Companhia
Vale do Rio Doce (CVRD) was halted last week when about 200 Indians from the Xikrin tribe occupied the company town of Carajas, located about 1,240 miles northeast of Rio De Janeiro. The invasion and occupation interrupted the export of approximately 500,000 metric tons of
iron ore, CVRD said.
The Indians occupied an ore export
freight railway terminal at Carajas, the company's largest mining complex, the night of Tuesday, October 15, armed with war clubs and bows and arrows. The group prevented hundreds of workers from going home by seizing the keys of buses that transport workers to and from the mining complex. They also looted a company restaurant and stole some of the workers' property, the company said.
The Xikrin group remained until Thursday, after preventing thousands workers from going to work Wednesday. The invasion was characterized as “violent” by CVRD, which said several hundred employees working at the time of the invasion were taken hostage for two hours.
Production was scheduled to resume Thursday.
CVRD told press that they did not receive any specific demands from the Xikrins, but the invasion seemed to be an attempt “to pressure the company to increase financial contributions to the indigenous community.”
The company told press it intends to press criminal charges against the Indians, calling the invasion a form of extortion, which could result in the cancellation of the current social-development deal. CVRD says that under the current social-development agreement signed in June, the company contributes about 9 million reals ($4.3 million) annually to the Xikrins.
Carajas, which was built by CVRD, is located in the largely undeveloped Amazon state of Para, about 1,240 miles northeast of Rio de Janeiro. It produces about 70 million metric tons of
iron ore yearly and consists of four separate mines. It is currently undergoing expansion -- The first phase of the expansion will boost output to 85 million metric tons by the end of the year, which will then be further increased to 100 million metric tons next year.