Brazil's iron ore giant Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (CVRD) said on Thursday that the ongoing invasion by the Xikrin Indians of its mining complex in Carajas was blocking the company's exports.

CVRD officials said that the company was running out of supplies at a sea port in Sao Luis, in Maranhao state, from where it exported the iron ore mined in Carajas in Para state in the Amazon rainforest region.

About 200 Xikrin Indians invaded the complex on Tuesday and took over its operational units by using bows and arrows, and pieces of wood, demanding CVRD, the world's largest iron ore miner, increase monthly payments to the community, construct 60 new houses in two villages, and repair and maintain two local roads.

The Carajas mining complex was responsible for a daily production of 250,000 tons of the mineral.

Gabriel Stoliar, Executive Director of CVRD, said the problem was that the Indians wanted to negotiate with the company instead of the National Foundation of the Indigenous People.

"But we do not want to replace the State," the director said, adding that the Xikrins refused to follow a court injunction determining they must leave the mining complex.

Stoliar argued that the company was located 70 kilometers away from the Xikrin villages, and its operations had no impact over their territory, as there was no road crossing it.

Despite that, Stoliar said his company offered an annual contribution of 9 million reais (4.22 million U.S. dollars) to the Xikrin people.

Source: Xinhua