To prevent further attacks, ICMBio vessels and vehicles are being removed from the Amazon.

247 - Cars and boats belonging to the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) were moved from Humaitá, in the south of Amazonas, to the city of Porto Velho, in Rondônia, in the early hours of this Sunday (29). The move took place after the ICMBio headquarters was set on fire on Friday (27). The suspects are gold miners, who allegedly acted in retaliation after an operation against an illegal mining operation on the Madeira River.

Four ICMBio employees were sent to a safe location. Employees of the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama), who were working in the city, also left the municipality escorted by police and were sent to Porto Velho. In a joint statement, ICMBio and Ibama reported that the environmental agencies' facilities were attacked, and public employees were threatened. "The employees are physically well and are already in a safe location, outside the municipality of Humaitá." 

Attacks
The first of the attacks occurred on Friday (27). A group of miners allegedly set fire to Ibama and ICMBio buildings in Humaitá. The criminal action occurred after an Ibama operation seized barges used in a mining operation. Named Ouro Fino, the operation seized 37 miners' barges in the Rio Madeira region. For the superintendent of Ibama in Amazonas, José Barroso, the attack on buildings of environmental inspection bodies is barbaric and an insult to the Brazilian State.

Security in Humaitá was reinforced by Army soldiers and Federal Police officers after an attack on buildings. Experts from the Federal Police in Porto Velho, Rondônia, were deployed to begin investigations. Reinforcements from the National Security Force arrived on Friday.