Technicians from the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (Mades) sealed off an agricultural property in the Tavaí district, Caazapá department, after detecting the clearing of native forest on an area of approximately 12 hectares. During the inspection, inspectors found remains of trunks, roots, and plant debris scattered about, as well as evidence of soil preparation for soybean planting.
The set of evidence was interpreted by the inspectors as part of a single process of land-use change, which prompted the formalization of the intervention. The procedure included photographic records and a drone overflight to measure the affected area.
Given the irregularities, the technicians issued a citation and delivered a notification to the person responsible for the establishment. The report will be sent to the Legal Advisory Directorate of Mades to proceed with the case under current environmental legislation.
The National Forestry Institute (Infona) estimates that most land-use change in the region occurs clandestinely. About 90% of deforestation in the Eastern Region is illegal, which has led to stricter penalties.
Law No. 6676/20 prohibits the conversion of forested areas and provides for administrative sanctions by Mades and Infona, as well as prison sentences of three to eight years in the judicial sphere. Fines do not exempt the offender from the obligation to restore environmental damage and compensate for losses caused.