At its heart, the story of the Brazilian Amazon is about the 21 million people who in some way or another call it home.
Everyday from December 7 through 18 - coinciding with the Copenhagen climate change summit – I am introducing you to a new person who lives in the Brazilian Amazon and whom I came across during my most recent reporting trip to the area.
This is the ninth installment of ‘Faces of the Amazon.’ To read the introductory blog post about this project, click here.
Name: Paulo Cesar Almeida dos Santos; wife Josivalda Barbosa dos Santos; son Francisco
Age: Paulo Cesar, 43; Josivalda, 34; Francisco, 3.
Where from: Apui, Amazonas
Population: 18.597
“I am from the town of Apui, but moved to this village of Boa Frente. Apui is six hours away by boat, or maybe three hours by car. I am not sure exactly.
“I worked on a big cattle farm in Apui. I was a labourer. I did everything.
"There are a lot of big ranches there in Apui. Lots of cattle. And there is a lot of deforestation too. On some parts of the highway, you can’t even see forest anymore because it’s all been cut down.
“Because there are not as many trees in Apui, the climate is different. Here, in Boa Frente, the climate is better. Hot, but better here. I like it. There is a cool breeze sometimes. I think it’s this way because there are more trees in Boa Frente. I have my land here now, so I won’t go back to Apui.
“Is the Amazon exotic for me? No. This is my home. This is my land.”
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