Brasília, April 23, 2004 (Agência Brasil) - The assassination of prospectors on the Roosevelt Indian reserve, in the state of Rondônia, revived the controversy surrounding the regulation of mining in Indian territories and revealed the weakness of the National Department of Mineral Production (DNPM), responsible for the authorization, supervision, fiscal control, and development of mining activities in Brazil.

The general director of the DNPM, Miguel Antonio Nery, acknowledged that the administrative and technological lag experienced by the organ makes it difficult to carry out its legal responsibilities. Last month, during a ceremony to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the DNPM, the Minister of Mines and Energy, Dilma Rousseff, herself recognized that modernization of the department is essential in order for the country to have a developed and efficient mining sector.

With respect to regulating Constitutional article 231, which establishes rules for the exploitation of minerals and plants on Indian lands, Nery informed that the government is discussing legislation that seeks a consensus among the various projects under consideration in the National Congress.

The DNPM director explained that the Constitution envisages the possible existence of mining activity on indigenous lands, but the Constitutional provision needs to be effectively regulated.

Translator: David Silberstein