HOLIDAYS IN THE DANGER ZONE Rivers - Amazon Tx Date: … 2005 This script was made from audio tape – any inaccuracies are due to voices being unclear or inaudible 10.00.00 Holidays in the Danger Zone Theme music 10.00.03 Title Page HOLIDAYS in the DANGER ZONE 10.00.12 Ben Anderson From the jungles of Latin America to the mountains of Asia, great rivers are lifelines for millions, they’re worshipped and they’re also battlegrounds. 10.00.21 Music 10.00.34 Title Page RIVERS 10.00.40 Graphic RIVER AMAZON 10.00.43 Music 10.00.50 Ben Anderson This is Coca Canyon, high up in the Andes. I’d come here to do a pretty tough journey and had been advised to bless the mountains before I began. 10.00.59 Music 10.01.06 Ben Anderson So the snowy peak on the right is the volcano Mismi, which is no longer active. But that’s where four years ago a team of scientists found a small trickle of water which they are certain is the source of the Amazon. And that’s where we are hoping to get to by the end of the day. 10.01.25 Ceremony 10.01.33 Ben Anderson Gracias Mismi, please welcome me to your land. 10.01.40 Ben Anderson There’s a fag in there as well. 10.01.42 Ben Anderson If I didn’t make the offering, I was told the mountain could make my time here very uncomfortable. 10.01.47 Ben Anderson At the end of the ceremony, blood has to pour into the earth. Once it was the blood of a child. Today, they sacrifice a guinea pig, which is farmed in Peru as part of the daily diet. 10.01.58 Ceremony 10.02.10 Ben Anderson Why does the guinea pig have to be buried alive? 10.02.14 Shamen Subtitles The blood of the guinea pig has to enrich the earth, so it has to be alive. But the animal doesn’t suffer. 10.02.24 Translator They have a trick in which they first give poison the guinea pig a little bit so that it doesn’t struggle a lot and that it is at ease when it is buried, so that it doesn’t suffer. 10.02.39 Music 10.02.45 Ben Anderson Our journey blessed we drove up into the Arequipa mountain range and towards the Mount Mismi base camp. From there, we would walk for a day to the source of the Amazon, five thousand three hundred metres above sea level. 10.03.19 Ben Anderson I’m glad we went through the ritual of asking the volcano Mismi to welcome us. I’m glad we sacrificed an innocent guinea pig so that our journey there would be easy because I would hate to get stuck in two feet of ice cold mud in the middle of flipping no-where. 10.03.42 Ben Anderson Our jeep wasn’t going anywhere. But one of our guides knew of a Chinese expedition who might lend us theirs. 10.04.01 Ben Anderson Two hours later we were mobile again. 10.04.08 Ben Anderson It was still early and we thought we could make it to the source and back before nightfall. 10.04.15 Ben Anderson The hard part was the walk, especially as we hadn’t had time to acclimatise. 10.04.31 Ben Anderson So I’ve just found out we’re at five thousand two hundred metres, which is higher than the peak of Mont Blanc, which makes me feel very intrepid and that we’re getting roughly sixty percent of the oxygen here that we would get at sea- level, which would explain the fact that I feel like I’m about to have a heart attack. 10.04.58 Ben Anderson There’s a condor. That means that the mountain has officially welcomed us. Right, let’s go. 10.05.22 Ben Anderson Ice cold but worth it. 10.05.26 Ben Anderson We’d made it. This is the source of the Amazon. 10.05.34 Ben Anderson So if I throw this small twig into this stream just underneath the source of the Amazon, there’s a small chance it could float almost four thousand miles east, until it meets the Atlantic Ocean. 10.05.51 Music 10.05.52 Ben Anderson But our journey had only just begun. As we walked back to base camp we realised our replacement Jeep had deserted us. 10.05.59 Music 10.06.08 Ben Anderson It’s already freezing cold. It’s going to get pitch black dark any minute now. He’s saying we should just walk in the direction we came but by foot we’ll be lucky to get there by morning, if we can keep walking that long. 10.06.25 Music 10.06.30 Ben Anderson We walked for miles, in what we hoped was the direction of the first truck. 10.06.33 Music 10.06.43 Ben Anderson It’s not looking good. 10.06.52 Ben Anderson We were on the point of collapse. After eight hours we finally found the two Jeeps; both were now stuck in the mud. 10.07.00 Music 10.07.06 Ben Anderson Basically I’ve lost all feeling from my thighs down. I feel like my toes may well have fallen off already. And I feel like my brain is about to explode, which I guess, is the altitude. 10.07.42 Ben Anderson Basically you have a headache like the worst headache you’ve ever had. Worse then the worst hangover that Oliver Reed ever had, like your brain is just going to explode through your scull. We both had nose bleeds. I had, my gums were bleeding this morning. Apparently what we had is acute mountain sickness and I think added to that well over twelve hours of walking, in what was eventually pitch black dark and freezing cold just almost finished us off. 10.08.16 Music 10.08.21 Ben Anderson As the Amazon flows into Brazil, travelling along it becomes much easier. 10.08.25 Music 10.08.27 Ben Anderson But the problems become much more serious, as my translator Fernando and Agent Delimar of the Amazonian River Patrol, were about to show me. 10.08.35 Music 10.08.46 Agent Delimar Voice over There are no roads only rivers. So the rivers are the roads of the Amazon. All sorts of things are happening on the river; child prostitution, human trafficking, environmental crimes, drugs, everything happens on the river. 10.09.03 Ben Anderson So you’re very busy? 10.09.04 Agent Delimar Voice over I prefer it that way. 10.09.06 Ben Anderson When I arrived at the river post, I was given a cup of coffee and an introduction to one of the local inhabitants. 10.09.19 Ben Anderson So forget about the armed narco-traffickers and sex traffickers and loggers, we’re also surrounded by all kinds of wildlife which could kill us within half an hour. 10.09.40 Ben Anderson The Brazilian government has just adopted a policy of shooting down planes trafficking drugs. As a result the Amazon is becoming a much busier smuggling route and the river police are having to train more recruits. 10.09.57 Ben Anderson Because this is kind of clay, I’m putting this on the inside of the trousers so that when I pull them over my head and make a balloon they’re going to be watertight. Hopefully. 10.10.23 Ben Anderson It’s lovely and I can’t see any snakes. Not ones with their heads above the water anyway. 10.10.33 Ben Anderson I just hope we don’t have to do this for real because they tell us all the animals are scared because there are so many people and so many boats here. If we do this for real in the middle of nowhere somewhere, I’ll be swimming five times faster then this. 10.10.51 Ben Anderson The best way to see the Amazon is from the air. Greenpeace make regular flights to monitor the illegal logging, which is gradually turning the world’s largest rainforest into an arid wasteland, only fit for cattle grazing. 10.11.03 Music 10.11.12 Ben Anderson It doesn’t take long to see how blatantly the loggers are operating. 10.11.16 Music 10.11.18 Greenpeace worker This is interesting. This is an illegal airstrip. 10.11.21 Music 10.11.25 Greenpeace worker So that little red dot there is where we just flew over and you can see it’s surrounded by National Park. It’s a completely protected area. In fact it’s an ecological station, which is a higher rating of protection than a National Park. As you can see there’s an illegal airfield in the middle of it that they use to bring in supplies for loggers. 10.11.45 Ben Anderson And that’s supposed to be the most protected land in the whole of the Amazon? 10.11.48 Greenpeace worker That’s the highest rating of protected area, yeah. So that’s a good example of how the law looks good on paper but doesn’t necessarily work on the ground, you know. 10.11.58 Ben Anderson Soon, there is more bare land than rainforest. Over fifteen percent of it has already been destroyed. 10.12.08 Ben Anderson But in Para State there are people who have more immediate concerns. I arrived on the day of a large demonstration by the landless movement, a large group of farmers who have been demanding land reform for over thirty years. 10.12.25 Protestors Subtitles Justice! Justice! 10.12.31 Ben Anderson The movement, which is very popular in Brazil, received international attention recently when Dorothy Stang, an American nun, was murdered for her support of the landless. 10.12.41 Protestors 10.12.45 Ben Anderson The main speaker at the demonstration is Maria, whose husband was murdered for leading the local trade union. 10.12.50 Protestors 10.12.55 Ben Anderson I don’t know quite what I was expecting today, but I was expecting a show of defiance or you know a celebration that because a foreigner got killed rather than a Brazilian things were actually going to change and things were actually going to get done but its not. This isn’t a historical thing, this is still happening today at a rate of on average of one murder every, every ten days. 10.13.14 Ben Anderson After her husband’s killing, Maria has taken over the leadership of the trade union and now has to move with two bodyguards by her side at all times. 10.13.24 Maria Subtitles Things have to change. There have been enough deaths! 10.13.34 Ben Anderson Today, almost half of Brazil’s farmland is owned by one percent of the population and it’s the landowners who are accused of sponsoring the killing. So far, there have been over fifteen hundred murders but less than seventy convictions. The Brazilian constitution commits the government to land reform but progress has been far too slow. 10.13.53 Music 10.14.01 Ben Anderson We’re on our way to see some landowners who have finally, reluctantly, agreed to see us. Because they’ve been so suspicious I don’t know exactly what we’re going to see, I don’t know what they’re going to be prepared to talk about and I don’t even know what they’re going to show us. 10.14.17 Ben Anderson And it was impossible to know whether the man we were about to see had ever been accused of supporting the political violence that has taken so many lives. He could have been perfectly innocent, although he clearly had plenty to lose. 10.14.36 Ben Anderson He’s got his own little man made boating lake with a swan shaped pedelo. Beautiful place. And his land stretches pretty much for as far as you can see in every direction. 10.14.51 Ben Anderson When Reginaldo arrived, he offered to show us around his farm. All he wanted to talk about was his vast collection of exotic animals and crops. I later found out that one of his managers had been accused of abusing labourers and treating them like slaves. But even general questions about the landless movement were making him and his friends suspicious. 10.15.15 Ben Anderson So all, all of the corn crop is just for the animals? 10.15.21 Ben Anderson A picture of all of us. 10.15.23 Landowner Subtitles This is for João de Paulo, in case I need to catch up with you! 10.15.28 Fernando This is for his henchman if he needs to, to catch up with us later on. 10.15.35 Ben Anderson That’s the second time they’ve made that joke. 10.15.37 Fernando That’s the third time actually. 10.15.38 Ben Anderson The third time. 10.15.40 Ben Anderson He didn’t seem to have anything to fear; his farm was productive and the landless only target land that has been idle for over five years. 10.15.51 Ben Anderson Do you feel that this farm is under threat at all from the, the landless movement? 10.15.58 Landowner Voice over Listen, there’s always a risk but if they invaded we’d throw them off. Why? Because this is productive land, it’s never idle. 10.16.07 Ben Anderson And have you had to introduce extra security? 10.16.12 Landowner Voice over We always want to stay within the law. If anyone breaks the law then we call the police. 10.16.21 Ben Anderson Is there idle land elsewhere that the landless movement could have? In other words, is there, is there enough land to go around? 10.16.30 Landowner Voice over For the person who wants to work there is land available but too many of these people aren’t farmers, they don’t want to work. They just want land to sell. 10.16.43 Fernando He believe that if it’s idle and they have to, to share the other land. 10.16.50 Landowner Subtitles I’ve got a question for him. How would he feel if I invaded his home without permission? That’s pretty much what happens with the landless movement. 10.17.04 Ben Anderson We were asking the friendly questions first and then I thought I was still on the friendly questions but two of them in particular have got very annoyed and clammed up. Basically they are saying that everybody is against them. 10.17.25 Dog barking 10.17.34 Ben Anderson So it’s gone one am on a Friday night and we’re with a group of landless families who are going to attempt what they call an occupation and what the landowners call an invasion. We’re with one group; eventually by the time we get to the site there’s going to be over two hundred families. There’s one truck leaving this camp with the families on board and two trucks with all their possessions, which includes double beds, bikes, chairs, they’ve even just loaded on a couple of cookers. 10.18.02 Ben Anderson Maria is part of the group who will be leaving their shacks tonight, they hope forever. But this isn’t their first attempt to get their own piece of land. 10.18.11 Ben Anderson So how are you feeling now? Excited or afraid at all, nervous? 10.18.16 Maria Voice over Not afraid, full of hope. 10.18.18 Ben Anderson Can you describe what exactly what happened last time? 10.18.25 Maria Voice over The landowners’ men came four times and tried to drive us away. Twice they kidnapped some of our people but we managed to free them. After forty-five days they came again but disguised as soldiers and this time they surprised us. When we realised we were surrounded we had to surrender and move off the land. 10.18.56 Ben Anderson As we got ready to leave the excitement was contagious. But some remember all too well what happened just a few months ago. 10.19.09 Young man Voice over When I returned to the camp the landowners’ gunmen were there. They put a gun to each side of my head so there was nothing I could do. I thought; why two guns? One would be enough. 10.19.28 Ben Anderson That’s as good as it’s going to get. 10.19.49 Ben Anderson Everyone is just laughing, singing, joking. They’re, they’re completely oblivious to the fact that, you know, once the landowner finds out what’s going on he might well send twenty armed men to meet us just like he did last time. 10.20.18 Ben Anderson So it’s just gone six o’clock in the morning, the sun’s rising, they’ve driven through the night to this meeting point where they’ve been joined by another four trucks full of landless families and all their possessions and now we’re driving the last twenty-five kilometres to the site where they can occupy the land and claim it as their new home. 10.20.42 Ben Anderson Although they may look like left wing revolutionaries, the landless movement actually enjoys the support of most Brazilians. Every government since the sixties has promised to meet their needs. But fulfilling those promises has just taken far too long, which is why the landless have taken matters into their own hands. 10.21.04 Ben Anderson Well, of all the accusations made against these people one thing they’re certainly not is lazy. We’ve been on the road all night long, the sun is burning hot and they’re carrying these heavy loads and hacking through the undergrowth like it’s, like it’s a race, with big grins on their faces. 10.21.23 Ben Anderson Although the president has said he supports you, the landowners can still kill landless workers and get away with it. How is it that none of you seem to have any fear? 10.21.35 Maria Voice over I am afraid but our need for land overcomes that fear. 10.21.42 Ben Anderson When we arrived work soon started on building homes and dividing up the land and there was no sign of any armed militiamen. But three months later a judge ruled against Maria and the other landless families. They were evicted and are now living in shacks again. 10.21.59 Music 10.22.01 Ben Anderson Then another flight with Greenpeace, who were taking me deep into the rainforest to see an indigenous Indian tribe. They’ve had their own piece of land for as long as they can remember but recently they’ve had to fight to keep it. 10.22.13 Music 10.22.16 Ben Anderson Without the plane, reaching the Deni tribe would have taken weeks by boat. 10.22.20 Music 10.22.32 Ben Anderson Even with a plane, the location isn’t easy on newcomers. 10.22.38 Ben Anderson We were told we were really going to suffer from the insects here and I said don’t worry, we’ve got one hundred percent deet insect repellent and they just smiled and said the mosquitoes are going to laugh at your insect repellent and they’re going to, that’s like putting sauce on meat, they said. 10.22.54 Music 10.23.02 Ben Anderson The Deni are not used to outsiders and they were understandably curious about these new white faces. But we did have a few things in common. 10.23.11 Ben Anderson This is all bites? 10.23.16 Ben Anderson Oh dear he’s got thousands. I’ve got one, just one. 10.23.23 Music 10.23.27 Ben Anderson And predictably, we also had something else in common. I had offered to bring the Deni anything they might need; they’d asked for just one thing. A new football. 10.23.39 Man The ball and also one of, if you have. 10.23.43 Ben Anderson The ball and a pair of trousers? I’ve only got one pair of trousers. 10.23.48 Man Tee-shirt? 10.23.49 Ben Anderson Yes, I might have a tee-shirt. So if I can find a spare tee-shirt and the ball, I get the basket. Ok. Go and find the tee-shirt now? 10.24.05 Marc Did they drive a pretty hard bargain? 10.24.07 Ben Anderson Yes, we were, we were asking if they wanted to, wanted us to bring them anything and they said a ball. Ok, we’ll bring them a football as a gift. So he said I’ll give you a basket for a football and I said, no problem I’ll just give you the ball as a gift. He said no, ball and a tee shirt and some trousers, then I’ll give you the basket. I said; I don’t care about the flipping basket. 10.24.33 Ben Anderson The next morning we started early to go fishing. By now I had learnt exactly what the local insects were capable of. 10.24.41 Ben Anderson Getting the chin! 10.24.44 Ben Anderson Before starting the Deni snort Rappey. 10.24.51 Deni man Subtitle It’s good. 10.24.53 Ben Anderson It’s a local snuff made of tobacco and herbs that they use to keep awake while hunting. 10.24.58 Ben Anderson It’s supposed to be mildly hallucinogenic isn’t it? Can I have that? 10.25.10 Ben Anderson Oooh! Certainly wakes you up. 10.25.17 Music 10.25.24 Ben Anderson The Deni usually fish with a bow and arrow but when the river is high, they have to use more familiar methods, which they tried to teach me. 10.25.30 Music 10.25.49 Ben Anderson It’s still alive. This is horrible. Oh in the head or the tail, whatever it is. 10.26.03 Ben Anderson He caught five in about five minutes and I haven’t caught one yet. 10.26.14 Ben Anderson I’ve got one! 10.26.26 Ben Anderson So the mosquitoes are laughing at me, the fish are laughing at me and the Deni fishermen is laughing at me ‘cos my fish is so crap. 10.26.43 Ben Anderson With tonight’s dinner on board, we headed back to the village. 10.26.56 Ben Anderson Are you telling them about my big catch? 10.27.03 Ben Anderson That’s for the kitten! 10.27.10 Ben Anderson The Deni enjoy an untouched and self-sufficient existence but it was secured recently and only after a massive struggle. Illegal loggers had forged paperwork, chopped down the Deni’s trees and claimed ownership of their land. 10.27.25 Ben Anderson How is it that someone, someone claimed they had the right to sell part of your land? 10.27.33 Deni man Voice over It’s wrong; nobody has the right to sell it. This land belongs to the Deni. That’s all there is to it. 10.27.48 Ben Anderson Greenpeace helped the Deni to demarcate borders which have now been officially recognised. 10.27.56 Ben Anderson Has anyone tried to log here since the land was officially demarcated? 10.28.03 Greenpeace worker Voice over The Deni people got rid of one group of loggers by forming a group of warriors. The loggers refused to leave so the Deni grabbed all their equipment and belongings. They forced the loggers to take off their clothes and threw them off their land wearing nothing but their underwear. 10.28.22 Music 10.28.34 Ben Anderson In many ways this is a natural paradise; organic food, dolphins in the rivers, wild parrots in the trees but I am so happy to see that plane that’s going to take me back to a shower and a bed and a door I can close. 10.28.51 Music Credits 10.29.00 bbc.co.uk/thisworld Reporter BEN ANDERSON Additional Camera FERNANDO CAVALCANTI Dubbing Mixer SCOTT MARSHALL Online Editor BOYD NAGLE Graphic Design LYNN WILSON Production Team JULIA DANNENBERG LADONNA HALL Production Manager JANE WILLEY Unit Manager SUSAN CRIGHTON Series Research TOM WATSON Research COLIN PEREIRA Picture Editor ROBERT MOORE Execution Producer KAREN O’CONNOR 10.29.13 Filmed & Produced by MARC PERKINS BBC © BBC MMV 10.29.16 End BBC Holidays in the Danger Zone: River Amazon 1 1