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Associated Press
12-06-2025
- Associated Press
Removal of hundreds of illegal cattle in the Amazon sparks protests and divides residents
BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — The removal of hundreds of cattle raised illegally on public land designated for sustainable forest use in Brazil's Amazon has sparked protests and divided residents, with some seeking to preserve rubber-tapping and Brazil nut harvesting and others wanting to consolidate livestock farming. The removal operation started last week in one of the country's most renowned Amazon conservation units, the Chico Mendes Extractive Reserve, named for the famed rubber tapper and environmentalist killed in 1988. Federal agents working with police and military officials seized around 400 heads of cattle from two farmers who had failed to comply with judicial eviction orders. The raids are set to continue in the coming weeks. But dozens of residents of the reserve protested the action, seeking to create a blockade in the city of Xapuri to prevent the removal of the cattle. The first truckload, carrying 20 head of cattle, had to take an alternate route to avoid confrontation. The protest, which had the support of local politicians, held powerful symbolism because Xapuri is the city where Mendes was gunned down. It also represented a contrast to the 1980s, when rubber tappers fought against cattle ranchers. The cattle removal came in response to a 56% surge in deforestation during the first five months of 2025 compared to the same period last year. The cleared area is nearly five times the size of Central Park in New York City. The reserve holds about 140,000 heads of cattle. 'Monitoring has identified that the environmental crime stems mainly from large-scale cattle ranching, which is illegal as it violates the rules of the protected area,' said a statement from the federal agency Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation, known as ICMBio. The Chico Mendes Reserve is one of several Amazon extractive reserves where forest communities can practice low-impact extractive activities with protections against land developers. Rules limit deforestation to small-scale cattle raising and agriculture, and land sales are forbidden. Still, the Chico Mendes Reserve is the most deforested federal conservation unit in Brazil. 'Working to find a solution' The current problems worsened in the four-year term of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro that ran through 2022, when deforestation exploded in the reserve. Bolsonaro defanged environmental protection and said the Amazon had too many protected areas. Some residents of Chico Mendes began selling their land parcels illegally to farmers, who hoped they would eventually be legalized. The strong reaction against the operation led to the creation of a WhatsApp group with around 1,000 members in which some issued threats against Raimundo Mendes de Barros, cousin and political heir of Chico Mendes, who opposes cattle expansion. But historical organizations applauded the cattle removals, including the National Council of Extractivist Populations, which issued a note supporting the operation. Cleisson Monteiro, president of the Association of Residents and Producers of the Chico Mendes Extractive Reserve in Xapuri, backed the protests against the cattle removals. He said that while deforestation must be addressed, federal agents sparked anger and fear among families who don't comply with all the reserve's rules. The area where the raids began, known as Seringal Nova Esperanca, 'no longer has a rubber-tapper profile,' Monteiro said. 'The people who live there have a different way of life. They are farmers engaged in small-scale family agriculture, with some cattle ranching for beef and dairy.' Monteiro said that about 140 families live in Nova Esperanca, including his own, all of whom have different degrees of non-compliance with the reserve's rules. He said that, even though only two individuals were targeted, there is concern that the operation could affect other families. 'ICMBio shouldn't have acted at this moment, because we're working to find a solution,' he said. 'The forest can't compete' The reserve is home to around 4,000 families. About 900 families produce rubber for a French shoe company, Veja. The project has proven successful, but the demand is not high enough to absorb the reserve's full production potential. Jeffrey Hoelle, a professor of anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, who has studied the area for two decades, said that cattle farming has been more lucrative for residents than traditional means of harvesting rubber and nuts from the forest. 'Twenty years ago, rubber tappers were just starting to adopt cattle. And over the last couple of decades, it's become increasingly popular,' Hoelle said. 'It's just become more acceptable over time. But essentially, the forest can't compete in terms of economic value with cattle. The extent to which rubber and Brazil nuts can provide for people is really limited compared to cattle, for which, unfortunately, you have to cut down the forest and plant pasture.' ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
Asharq Al-Awsat
31-05-2025
- General
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Istanbul Mayor's Staff Targeted By Dozens Of Arrest Warrants
Turkish authorities have issued 47 arrest warrants for municipal officials and staff across Istanbul, whose mayor -- the main political rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan -- has been jailed since March, the state news agency Anadolu reported on Saturday. The warrants were based on "four separate corruption investigations centred on Istanbul", Anadolu said, without revealing how many people were actually taken into custody, AFP reported. The March 19 arrest and jailing of Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu sparked the biggest street protests Türkiye had seen in decades. Police had already detained nearly 70 people in subsequent raids linked to alleged corruption at Istanbul City Hall, including Imamoglu's private secretary and his private protection officer. The latest warrants targeted a former opposition lawmaker and five mayors of Istanbul districts, according to Anadolu. The private television station Halk, seen as close to the opposition CHP party that Imamoglu belongs to, said that nine district mayors -- out of a total of 39 -- had now been arrested and were being kept in custody. The CHP, which has nominated Imamoglu as its candidate in presidential elections due in 2028, did not immediately comment on the latest warrants.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Turkey arrests dozens including opposition party members
Turkish authorities have ordered the arrests of dozens of people facing corruption allegations, including opposition party members, in Istanbul and the city of Adana. The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office issued detention orders for 47 people and detained 30. Others detained included local municipal mayors and Istanbul officials. The operation is the fifth wave of arrests against the government's political opponents, starting with the jailing of Istanbul's mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, regarded as President Tayyip Erdogan's main rival in March. Turkey's government has rejected claims of political interference, insisting the judiciary is independent. Imamoglu sent a letter from prison to an opposition rally on Saturday, saying: "It is time to say "enough is enough" to this unjust and unlawful order." "Now you are taking our district mayors with fictitious excuses. What will you do? Where will you stop? Are you going to throw 16 million Istanbulites in jail one by one?" he said in the letter. Imamoglu is part of the Republican People's Party (CHP), who have been leading in many polls against Erdogan's Justice and Development Party. He was jailed over charges of corruption and aiding a terrorist group. He has denied all charges. His arrest triggered mass protests and arrests across Turkey. The Istanbul prosecutor's office has said 819 people arrested in protests will be tried in 20 criminal investigations. Some 110 people were arrested in the first four waves of arrests under corruption allegations. The fifth wave on Saturday consisted of four different operations in two cities. Municipal mayors, CHP party members and city officials were among those arrested. CHP Party Assembly member Baki Aydöner wrote on X that he was in Ankara for a party meeting when his wife called and told him that the house was searched and there was a detention order against him. He said he was going to Istanbul. The UN's human rights office said in March it was "very concerned" at the mass arrests, with Amnesty International at the time calling the detentions "draconian actions". Who is Turkish opposition leader Ekrem Imamoglu? Erdogan's main rival in Turkey makes first court appearance since arrest Hundreds arrested in crackdown on May Day protests in Istanbul
BBC News
31-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Turkey arrests dozens including opposition party members
Turkish authorities have ordered the arrests of dozens of people under corruption allegations, including opposition party members, in Istanbul and the city of Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office issued detention orders for 47 people and detained 30. Others detained included local municipal mayors and Istanbul operation is the fifth wave of arrests against the government's political opponents, starting with the jailing of Istanbul's mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, regarded as President Tayyip Erdogan's main rival in government has rejected claims of political interference, insisting the judiciary is independent. Imamoglu sent a letter from prison to an opposition rally on Saturday, saying: "It is time to say "enough is enough" to this unjust and unlawful order.""Now you are taking our district mayors with fictitious excuses. What will you do? Where will you stop? Are you going to throw 16 million Istanbulites in jail one by one?" he said in the is part of the Republican People's Party (CHP), who have been leading in many polls against Erdogan's Justice and Development Party. He was jailed over charges of corruption and aiding a terrorist group. He has denied all arrest triggered mass protests and arrests across Turkey. The Istanbul prosecutor's office has said 819 people arrested in protests will be tried in 20 criminal 110 people were arrested in the first four waves of arrests under corruption fifth wave on Saturday consisted of four different operations in two cities. Municipal mayors, CHP party members and city officials were among those Party Assembly member Baki Aydöner wrote on X that he was in Ankara for a party meeting when his wife called and told him that the house was searched and there was a detention order against him. He said he was going to UN's human rights office said in March it was "very concerned" at the mass arrests, with Amnesty International at the time calling the detentions "draconian actions".
Al Arabiya
31-05-2025
- General
- Al Arabiya
Istanbul mayor's staff targeted by dozens of arrest warrants
Turkish authorities have issued 47 arrest warrants for municipal officials and staff across Istanbul, whose mayor -- the main political rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan -- has been jailed since March, the state news agency Anadolu reported on Saturday. The warrants were based on 'four separate corruption investigations centered on Istanbul,' Anadolu said, without revealing how many people were actually taken into custody. The March 19 arrest and jailing of Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu sparked the biggest street protests Turkey had seen in decades. Police had already detained nearly 70 people in subsequent raids linked to alleged corruption at Istanbul City Hall, including Imamoglu's private secretary and his private protection officer. The latest warrants targeted a former opposition lawmaker and five mayors of Istanbul districts, according to Anadolu. The private television station Halk, seen as close to the opposition CHP party that Imamoglu belongs to, said that nine district mayors -- out of a total of 39 -- had now been arrested and were being kept in custody. The CHP, which has nominated Imamoglu as its candidate in presidential elections due in 2028, did not immediately comment on the latest warrants.
