"Potassium mining project in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest divides Indigenous tribe", 07 March 2025

...Mura and others from the tribe fear that the pristine beauty of the place may soon change. Hidden from view dozens of miles below ground, the region holds one of the largest reserves of potash, a mineral that includes potassium, on the planet. Now, Brazil Potash Corp., a Toronto-based mining company listed in the New York Stock Exchange, is set to start tapping the mineral, which is used to make fertilizer and is a key to Brazil’s booming agribusiness.

As can happen when mammoth projects are planned in Indigenous communities, Brazil Potash’s plans are sparking fears of environmental impact and creating divisions. Opponents fear that mining will expose the tribe to harmful pollution and hurt tribal unity, while supoorters think it will raise their standard of living.

The project...[is]...expected to soon break ground...

...The project received licensing by Amazonas Environmental Protection Institute, a state-level agency. However, it faces lawsuits from the Office of the Attorney General for a lack of proper consultation with the Mura and potential environmental risks, such as soil and water contamination, as the plant will be in a region prone to seasonal flooding...

Brazil Potash says it has consulted the Mura people and that the majority support the project. In a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the company said 90% of representatives from 34 out of 36 nearby villages voted. However, Brazil’s Attorney General’s Office, which is tasked with defending Indigenous rights, argues the consultation process was flawed. It secured a court order prohibiting company representatives from entering Mura territory...

In a statement to the AP, Brazil Potash said it does not comment on ongoing lawsuits and declined to respond to emailed questions...

In the lawsuit, the Attorney General’s Office says the internal division is one of the project’s first consequences. The suit alleges that the mining company acquired plots in the project area through deception, threats and coercion. It also highlights what it says are flaws in the licensing process...

Divisions over the project have become so deep that the tribal members are no longer meeting together, or taking collective decisions.

On Feb. 19, 34 villages in favor of mining gathered at the Mura Indigenous Council’s headquarters in Autazes. Amid cultural celebrations, they delivered hopeful speeches, anticipating prosperity from the mining.

The next day, opponents met a few kilometers (miles) away, in Moyray village, and decided to break with the council, which was created over 30 years ago to represent the tribe. Instead, they created the Indigenous Organization for Mura Resistance of Autazes...