THE LETTER OF MANAUS

SEPTEMBER 2019

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CONTENT

PRESENTATION 3

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Coverimage:AerialviewoftheAmazonrainforestnearManaus,April19,2011(Photo:NeilPalmer/CIAT/Flickr)

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PRESENTATIONRecently, four of the most important communication vehicles, if not the mostrepresentativeofthesegment,duetotheiraffinitiesofthoughtandcommitmentto truthfulness, logic and common sense of information, together with theresponsibilitythatshouldimpregnatetheactivityofproducingnews,decidedtojoininaninformalassociation,fornow,tobetterfulfilltheirmissionordestiny.Thus,the“ArtedaGuerra”channel,the“VelhoGeneral”blog,the“CaiafaImage”channel and the “Tecnologia e Defesa” magazine joined forces and prestige,united by the same ideal, even trying to moralize the disorder andirresponsibilitythatcurrentlyprevailsintheinnumerablevehicles(electronicornot)thatdealwithsuchdelicateissuesasdefenseandsecurity.

Thisunionof forceshas already resulted in anenviable communityof readersandsubscribersthatexceedsafewhundredthousandpeoplefromalloverBrazil(andmany abroad), so the issues published or discussed in our vehicles havewiderepercussion.Ontheotherhand,wecapturetheyearnings,plansandfearsofanimportantandinfluentialpartofBraziliansociety.

In this context, and combining our commitment of love and loyalty to ourcountry andourbrothers fromall corners of this continental nation,we couldnotpassuptheimpactoftheproblemsrelatedtotheBrazilianAmazoninrecentweeks, in the midst of the which misinformation, manipulation, disguisedinterestsanddistance fromrealitycauseusmuchmoreharmthanthedamagecaused by the absolutely normal “burns” and accusations of exploitation ofimmeasurablewealth,butthatbelongstous.

We know how to take care of this heritage for the first benefit of our people,without forgetting thepeopleofothercountries thatdidnotworry in thepastabout the preservation of the environment in their own territories and nowcometoaccuseus,givelessonsandinsinuatethreatstooursovereignty.However, something as unfortunate as these actions is the support of the so-called“majorpress”ofBrazilthat,duetoitsideology(andtheeconomy,mainly,becausetheyhavelostmuchoftheirsourcesofincomewheretheyusedtostockupinexchangefor“flattery”thatmasksthetruesituationofthecountry),tendsto blame (for an environmental crisis that does not exist) the currentgovernmentofBrazil.For all these reasons, we have decided to launch a public campaign to collectsuggestionstodevelopanactionplanthatmitigatestheproblem.Theappealhadwide repercussions among our audience, with thousands of comments andhundredsofmessageswithamendmentstotheinitialdraft.

After selecting the suggestions that we consider most appropriate, we edit adraftdocumenttopresenttotheBrazilianauthorities.

However,webelieve that anextremely importantpartof any initiative for theAmazonneedstoinvolveourbrothersthepeopleofLatinAmericawhoalsoownpartoftheAmazonterritory.

Therefore,wedecided towrite theLetterofManaus, throughwhichweaffirmthesovereigntyofthecountriesoftheregionandcalluponthemtouniteforthiscommon objective; and we urge the so-called developed countries to take

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concrete actions to help reduce the illegal arms trade from their territories toourregionandtocurbbiopiracy,whichisnothingmorethantheunauthorizedexpropriation and commercialization of genetic material without thecorresponding consent of the Amazonian countries; in addition,we encouragetheinitiationofadiplomaticoffensivecallingfortheendofthecoloniesinLatinAmerica.

We hope this is somehow useful for Brazil, for Latin America and for theAmazonianpeopletodayandforfuturegenerations(ourgreatestconcern).

Thankfully.

ArtedaGuerra–CaiafaImage–Tecnologia&Defesa–VelhoGeneral

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WE,THECOUNTRIESOFTHEAMAZON

WeunderstandthattheAmazonrainforestisaninheritanceofourancestors,conqueredandmaintainedwiththesacrificeofcountlessgenerationsandthatwehavetherighttopreservethislegacy;

Therefore,thesignatorynationsofthisletterconsidertheirterritoryindivisible,inalienableandwithfullandnon-transferablesovereignty;

Thecreationbydefaultorwithoutconsentofnations,states,territorieswithautonomousorsemi-autonomousstatusintheterritorialspaceofthesignatorynationsortheiradjacentseaswillnotbeallowed;

Wearealsoawarethatsmugglingspecimensofanimalsandplantstorichcountriesismassiveandharmful,acrimeagainstourbiodiversity.Consequently,weurgetheeffortsofthesecountriestostopandrepresstheentryofthesespecimensintotheirterritoriesinthesamewaythatwetrytopreventthemfromleaving.Biopiracymustbefoughtatbothends;

Withrespecttoothergovernments,whosepresidentswillnotrecognizeinternationalsummits,conventionsorassemblies,norwillagreementsorcovenants,resolutionsorarbitrationsbeacceptedwhenthecontentorpartofthemviolates,threatensorlimitsthesovereigntyofthesignatorycountriesovertheirterritories;

Justaswerespectthewilloftheinternationalcommunitytohelpuspreserveourforests,wealsodemandrespectforoursovereignty,reservingtherighttochoosewhen,where,howandbywhomwewillreceiveassistance,anddeterminethepurposeoftheseresourcesaccordingtotheneedsofourpeoples;

ConsideringthatthesignatorycountriesofthisLetterhavedemocraticallyelectedand,therefore,legitimategovernments,anydonation,loanorfinancingfromothercountriescannotbeconditionedtotheadoptionofpoliciesthatharmournations;

Itisundeniablethattheintroductionofmanufacturedweaponsinindustrializedcountriescausesthousandsofvictims,strengthensdrugtraffickinganddestabilizessocietiesinthepoorestcountries.Therefore,weaskformeasurestoensurethatproducingcountriesreducetheirmanufacturingvolume,establishsalesanddistributioncontrolmechanismsandtightentheirapplicationtocurbsmuggling;

WeurgetheInternationalCommunitynottoretain,confiscateormaintaininitsbankingsystemsanycashormovableandimmovablepropertythathavebeenobtainedillegallyinthesignatorycountriesofthisLetteratthesametimethattheymustaccelerateitsreturn;

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NocountrysignatorytothisLettershallbesubjecttosanctions,blockades,interference,intervention,invasionoranyothertypeofexplicitorveiledaggressionbytheInternationalCommunity;

GiventhefactthatmostofthecountriesinthisLetteraresignatoriesoftheNPTand,therefore,inconditionsofwarlikeinferioritytothenuclearpowers,weunderstandthatitisthedutyoftheInternationalCommunitytoestablishguaranteesofrespectforsovereigntyandterritorialintegrityoftheAmazoniancountries;

TheInternationalCommunitywillnotgrantasylum,offerapassport,refugeestatusoranyothertypeofbenefittocitizensconvictedofcrimescommittedintheterritoryofthesignatoriesofthisLetter,andwilltakemeasurestoacceleratetheirextradition;

ThesignatorycountriesofthisLetterurgetheInternationalCommunitytostopmanufacturing,selling,exporting,assigningortransferringtechnologyforthemanufactureanddevelopmentoflandminesorsimilardevices;and

Weunderstandthatinthe21stcentury,theexistenceofcolonies,overseasterritories,possessions,militarybasesorterritorialstatusotherthantotalindependenceortheirreturntothecountrythathastheoriginallegalpossessionisnolongerappropriate.

Ofcourse,wemaintainthatthepopulationsoftheseplaces,sovereignlyandinaccordancewiththeirinterestsandrealities,decidewhetherornottomaintainthecurrentstatusquowithoutanyexternalpressureorintervention.

Therefore,werequesttheapplicationofthesepreceptstothefollowingterritories:

Denmark(Greenland).

UnitedStatesofAmerica(Guam,Guantanamo,VirginIslandsandPuertoRico).

France(FrenchGuyana,SaintPeterandMiquelon,Guadalupe,Martinique,SaintBarthelemy,NewCaledoniaandDependencies,FrenchPolynesia,SaintMartinandIslasWallisandFutuna).

Netherlands(Aruba,Curacao,SanMartin,Bonaire,SaintEustatiusandSaba).

UnitedKingdom(Anguilla,Bermuda,SouthGeorgiaandtheSouthSandwichIslands,CaymanIslands,Falklands/MalvinasIslands,TurksandCaicosIslands,BritishVirginIslands,Montserrat,SaintHelena,AscensionandTristandaCunha,PitcairnandGibraltar).

Webelievethat,byfollowingandimplementingthedecisionscontainedinthisLetter,wewillmovetowardsamorejust,peacefulandprogressiveworld.

Manaus,Brazil,September2019.