Federal Public Ministry demands archaeological rescue at Sítio Facão 1

The Federal Public Ministry (MPF) has issued a formal recommendation to the Cáceres City Hall, granting a 60-day deadline to initiate necessary interventions for the archaeological rescue of the Sítio Facão 1 site. This action is a prerequisite for road improvement works serving the Facão and Cinturão Verde communities.

The MPF described this measure as a “final attempt at an extrajudicial conciliatory resolution,” warning that failure to comply may result in legal action. Under the recommendation, the municipality must execute both an Archaeological Rescue Project and a Heritage Education Project in accordance with requirements set by the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (Iphan).

Once activities begin, the works must be completed within 450 days before road improvements can proceed. The municipality has 15 days to respond to the recommendation. The issue has persisted since 2021, when Iphan suspended road maintenance after discovering direct impacts on the archaeological site, including exposed ceramic fragments.