By Brasil de Fato

Of interest to the rural caucus, Bill 510/2021 was put to a vote at the last minute and affects forests and the environment (Photo: ISPN Archive/Thomas Bauer)

Following appeals from the opposition, the president of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco (DEM-MG), postponed the vote on Bill 510/2021, which relaxes requirements related to land regularization. The text faces widespread resistance from environmentalists, civil entities, and parliamentarians opposed to the Bolsonaro government, which is interested in the measure.

Sponsored by the rural caucus, the proposal was put to a vote after being included on the agenda just one day before, on Tuesday (27), without agreement and just over two months after it arrived at the House, at the end of February. Pacheco backtracked on the idea of ​​voting this Wednesday after receiving three requests to remove it from the agenda from senators Eliziane Gama (Cidadania-MA), Paulo Rocha (PT-PA) and Rogerio Carvalho (PT-SE).

“I was surprised, as were other colleagues in Parliament and several environmental authorities in Brazil, [by the information] that the project was on the agenda. I was very worried because we didn't even know about the substitute bill until this morning. Imagine, for a project of this magnitude, not having time for a more in-depth reading,” complained Eliziane.

She added that voting on the bill without prior debate in committees and without public hearings would bring "a damaging result" to the country, which today lacks international aid to contain the pandemic. The senator recalled the highlights that occurred at the Climate Summit last week.

“We even had appeals from the American president regarding Brazil because the country requested help from the United States during the pandemic, and he raised several issues, including concerns about the environmental situation here. This bill, if introduced and approved today, goes against what we expect from Congress regarding international aid.”

Breach of agreement

The opposition also complained of a breach of agreement because, in previous arrangements, party leaders from the majority faction had agreed with the group that the bill would only be put to a vote in the plenary session after discussion.

“There was an agreement to analyze the requests for a public hearing before analyzing the project. The matter is controversial, and I don't see the need to approve this proposal hastily,” said the minority leader, Jean Paul Prates (PT-RN), in a public statement released moments before the session.

Densidade

Senator Rogério Carvalho, for example, highlighted that the bill is complex and far-reaching because it involves many legal provisions, such as issues of land regularization, administration, alienation, transfer and management of federal properties, and even transfers of ownership of federal lands to municipalities.

Therefore, Carvalho argued that the measure should not be voted on during this period of remote sessions, in which the Legislative Branch prioritizes issues related to containing the pandemic.

“We have some exceptions, but a topic like this doesn't have the urgency of other issues we've brought to the table. I think it requires a more thorough discussion. It's crucial that we have this debate; land regularization is important, but it can't be done haphazardly. We need to have a discussion about it.”

The first public hearing on the PL, for example, is scheduled for this Thursday (29) in the Senate. With the exclusion of the proposal from the voting agenda this Wednesday, Pacheco's idea is that the topic be debated in a meeting of leaders before being included again in the voting agenda.

Experts

The opposition refutes the government's narrative regarding the merits of the proposal. Jean Paul Prates, for example, states that the measure "is an attack on the environment and agrarian reform" because, by loosening the rules for regularization, it "encourages land invasion and weakens environmental safeguards." "If approved, we will unleash land grabbing and illegal deforestation," the leader emphasizes.

Similarly, civil society organizations working in the environmental field are also issuing warnings about the text. Earlier, various environmentalists and other actors took to social media to urge people not to vote on the bill.

A public statement released this Wednesday by the Brazil Coalition, for example, highlights that Bill 510 "goes against what is expected of land regularization" because, among other things, it extends the deadline for legalizing invasions of public lands from 2008 to 2014.

The organization also drew attention to the fact that the bill authorizes large areas of up to 2.500 hectares to be handed over without inspection to those who present themselves as occupants of the land. "This logic of constantly relaxing the time frame and the size of properties to be titled ends up legitimizing land grabbing practices and encouraging new illegal occupations, increasing pressure on public forests," the organization said.