Action brings down nine structures of houses and small buildings in the environmental protection area of ​​Guaratiba

The operation was supported by the Municipal Guard, Comlurb, Environmental Military Police and the City Hall's Conservation Department Photo: Disclosure/City of Rio

The Rio de Janeiro City Hall, through the Inspection Coordination of the Rio de Janeiro Municipal Secretariat for the Environment, demolished, on the morning of this Wednesday (06/01), nine structures that would be new houses and small buildings in the Environmental Protection Area (APA) of Serra da Capoeira Grande, in Guaratiba, West Zone of Rio. There is a strong attempt at urban expansion in the region into mangrove areas, which constitutes an environmental crime.

The operation was supported by the West Zone Subprefecture, the City Hall's Conservation Department, the Municipal Guard, Comlurb, and the Environmental Military Police. Forty officers were mobilized in ten patrol cars. Those responsible had been notified last October and must present an environmental recovery plan to mitigate the damage. Luís Henrique Soares de Paiva, who identified himself as a security guard and owner of one of the plots of land, was taken to the 40rd Precinct (Guaratiba) to provide clarification. He will be investigated for illegal land subdivision, for which a conviction includes imprisonment of 43 to 1 years, with a fine of 2 to 5 times the current minimum wage.

Colonel José Maurício Padrone, the new coordinator of Environmental Inspection for the City's Environment, will intensify efforts to combat environmental violations that arise with urban expansion into permanent preservation areas. This is one of the most lucrative activities of paramilitary groups.

During the action, the municipal secretary of the Environment, Eduardo Cavaliere, said he was alarmed by the data on the unsustainable march to the West Zone.

– We will act rigorously to combat environmental violations, always with the support of other agencies. An important message we want to convey is: we can no longer accept the 'free for all' in areas that are extremely fragile from an environmental point of view. The Guaratiba region has an important mangrove swamp, and the felling of this ecosystem constitutes a serious environmental crime – he highlighted.

The Serra da Capoeira APA has a total area of ​​80 hectares and is one of the last remaining forest areas with brazilwood (Caesalpinia echinata Lam.) in the city of Rio de Janeiro. The region is under enormous pressure from real estate expansion. The conservation unit, managed by the Department of the Environment, was created in April 2002. The area is popular for physical activities, hiking and birdwatching. It is an area of ​​environmental vulnerability, but with a significant landscape heritage.