The number of fines applied by Ibama that mention mining in the Amazon increased 446% between Bolsonaro's first year in government and 2025, going from 56 to 306 citations. The data cross-referencing done by GLOBO, with the help of Artificial Intelligence, analyzed the institute's public databases to reach this result.
In the Sararé Indigenous Land, located in Mato Grosso, the growth was even more expressive. In 2019, seven Ibama infraction notices pointed to the presence of mining in the territory. Six years later, 93 infraction notices were recorded in the same area.
The descriptions of the infractions also reveal a change in the nature of the illegal mining operations. Where before there were simple records, now there are descriptions of more complex activities, including hydraulic excavators, logistical support points and fuel distribution.
The advance of mining in the Amazon is already reflected in deforestation and violence statistics in the region, and now also appears in Ibama's own infraction notices, evidencing the escalation of this illegal activity in the analyzed period.
