Brumadinho: Animal rescues are being sabotaged and prevented because they cause harm.

On Monday (28), Ibama employees denounced on social media that they received a call that prevented them from collecting the animals that are stuck in the mud, in the municipality of Brumadinho, in MG, after yet another environmental crime by the mining company Vale.

In several posts expressing outrage from an employee using the codename "PPG," veterinarians and biologists from IBAMA and Projeto Aves claim that both they and the environmental police are being prevented from traveling to Brumadinho to rescue the thousands of animals that have been agonizing in the mud for over 72 hours. According to them, even with their experience, rescue training, and all the necessary technical equipment, they are not welcome.

According to these allegations, the reason for preventing the rescue of the animals is due to the potential harm it could cause.

Other rescue groups have reported the same obstacle.

Around 900 men from the Army's 4th Light Infantry Brigade have been on standby since last Friday (25), the date of the Brumadinho tragedy, without having been called upon.

Although the Ministry of Defense provided a strong structure to assist in the search operations in Brumadinho, authorities from the government of Minas Gerais only used part of the personnel offered.

Earlier today, Andreia Sadi's Blog reported that the federal government was surprised by the fact that the 4th Brigade had not yet been used.

The Minas Gerais authorities explained to the federal government that the brigade's assistance would not be necessary because the disaster area is very restricted, already occupied by the team working on site, and that an excess of people could even "hinder the operation."

Conversely, high-ranking military officers, while stating that they do not want to create controversy at this time of anguish for the victims' families, claim that they could have been helpful in the outskirts of the region, including accessing the surrounding wooded area and helping to evacuate local residents.

"At this time, no amount of help can be refused," said a high-ranking military officer, speaking on condition of anonymity. A colleague, also interviewed by G1, echoed this sentiment.

Here is the structure made available by the Eastern Military Command:

930 operational military personnel, including Army Police troops with sniffer dogs;
38 military personnel from the health sector (doctors, nurses and assistants);
10 ambulances;
132 various vehicles, including trucks, buses and tankers;
140 tents and awnings;
95 camp beds;
360 mattresses.

In her Instagram stories, activist Luisa Mell and her team are frantically running back and forth, narrating that they are waiting a long time, not receiving permission to enter, and not even the requested barriers to avoid getting stuck in the mud. According to the activist, IBAMA (Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources) warned about the risk at the meeting that approved the license. Luisa Mell, who arrived in Brumadinho this Monday, the 28th, did not hold back in her negative adjectives regarding the treatment given to animal rescuers by Vale. According to the activist, as reported to the Direto da Fonte column, she and her team are being "sabotaged." "We all came voluntarily, we bought barriers for the rescue – which the company didn't want to buy – and they won't even let us in to map the animals," she stated. For Luisa, the company's biggest concern is its image: "They don't want people filming the tragedy. They didn't want us to enter with cell phones," she reveals.

How much dirt is behind all of this?