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Finally, there are those people who propose unlimited development of the rainforest. In other words, the resources of the rainforests would be available for development without restrictions in order to improve the opportunities and economy of the local people and of Brazil.
Rights of Native People in the Modern World
When the Portuguese explorer Pedro Alvares Cabral arrived on the shores of Brazil in 1500, there were approximately five million natives from 1,000 tribes living there. Today, there are only about 300,000 natives from about 200 tribes. Indeed, from the early days of the conquistadors to the present, the human rights of the native people of the rainforest have often been adversely affected by the acquisition and development of their land. For example, in 1966 Operation Amazonia provided tax incentives to large ranches – and today loggers, miners, and ranchers still compete with the native peoples for their land. Even today the Guarani are experiencing a suicide epidemic, as ranchers terrorize them and deny them access to their land. [more]
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