Sept. 1, 2010
Indigenous Peoples and Social Movements Mount Resistance Against Hydroelectric Dams in Brazil's Amazon Basin
By Rebecca Sommer
Special to Huntingtonnews.net
Aug. 27, 2010 marked the ending of the first meeting of the 4 Rivers that took place in a small city of Itaituba in the heart of the Amazon, in the Brazilian state of Pará. The meeting unified about 600 leaders from social movements, indigenous peoples (Munduruku, Karitiana, Tupa, Borari, Arara, Kanoe, Juruna, Xicrin and Kayapo), riverine people, and small farmers already affected by hydroelectric projects, or living in areas in which hydroelectric dams are in the planning stage.
The representatives strongly opposed the hydroelectric projects at the Madeira river, in Rondônia (Santo Antonio and Jirau), Teles Pires river, in state Mato Grosso (Complex Teles Pires, with five plants), Tapajos, in Para (Hydroelectric Complex Tapajós, with five plants) and Xingu river, Pará (hydroelectric Belo Monte) consolidated a joint interstate opposition and resistance against the construction in progress and under planning in the Amazon rivers.
During the meeting -- which was also attended by relevant experts (biologists, social scientists, anthropologists and lawyers) -- numerous reports were collected and combined, from the serious social and environmental impacts that already occurred in Rondonia, as well as the numerous illegalities that mark the licensing procedures, impact studies, and construction planning stages of projects on the Madeira river, and Xingu River’s hydroelectric dam Belo Monte.
In emotional speeches, representatives of those affected by the construction of hydroelectric dam Antonio and Jirau described the misery of the population and the environment, and problems such as skyrocketing food prices, violence, prostitution, drugs, and other problems.
According to representatives opposing Belo Monte, there are nine public civil actions still in the court’s pipeline, against Belo Monte, covering the period 2001 to 2010, that treat irregularities such as that federal development on indigenous land violates the UNDRIP and ILO Convention and Brazil’s own Constitution.
Congress has not authorized the project, as required by Brazil’s Constitution in Article 231.
The right of Indigenous Peoples to Free, Prior, Informed Consent (FPIC) was completely ignored. Although 11 municipalities would be directly affected by the construction, only four public hearings have been held.
There was a lot of outrage, and revolt at the meeting, against the violence, disregard for the law, and complete ignorance on the part of the government. The opposition mass organizations against the Xingu river’s Belo Monte, clearly manifested their anger, and disbelieve, that Lula signed the contract yesterday with the Energy Consortium Electronorte
The newly created joint resistance movement to the hydroelectric plants in the four rivers organized a number of joint actions, such as reproduction and analysis of existing legal actions against the projects, joint mobilizations in November this year, the socialization of public campaigns and communication against dams -- nationally and internationally -- and ongoing exchange and support on the local, national and international level.
The meeting also produced a complaint to the Federal Public Ministry, and was signed by all present, requesting a halt to the allegedly unlawful acts committed by the Energy Consortium Electronorte.
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Indigenous Peoples and Social Movements Mount Resistance Against Hydroelectric Dams in Brazil's Amazon Basin
By Rebecca Sommer
Special to Huntingtonnews.net
Aug. 27, 2010 marked the ending of the first meeting of the 4 Rivers that took place in a small city of Itaituba in the heart of the Amazon, in the Brazilian state of Pará. The meeting unified about 600 leaders from social movements, indigenous peoples (Munduruku, Karitiana, Tupa, Borari, Arara, Kanoe, Juruna, Xicrin and Kayapo), riverine people, and small farmers already affected by hydroelectric projects, or living in areas in which hydroelectric dams are in the planning stage.
The representatives strongly opposed the hydroelectric projects at the Madeira river, in Rondônia (Santo Antonio and Jirau), Teles Pires river, in state Mato Grosso (Complex Teles Pires, with five plants), Tapajos, in Para (Hydroelectric Complex Tapajós, with five plants) and Xingu river, Pará (hydroelectric Belo Monte) consolidated a joint interstate opposition and resistance against the construction in progress and under planning in the Amazon rivers.
During the meeting -- which was also attended by relevant experts (biologists, social scientists, anthropologists and lawyers) -- numerous reports were collected and combined, from the serious social and environmental impacts that already occurred in Rondonia, as well as the numerous illegalities that mark the licensing procedures, impact studies, and construction planning stages of projects on the Madeira river, and Xingu River’s hydroelectric dam Belo Monte.
In emotional speeches, representatives of those affected by the construction of hydroelectric dam Antonio and Jirau described the misery of the population and the environment, and problems such as skyrocketing food prices, violence, prostitution, drugs, and other problems.
According to representatives opposing Belo Monte, there are nine public civil actions still in the court’s pipeline, against Belo Monte, covering the period 2001 to 2010, that treat irregularities such as that federal development on indigenous land violates the UNDRIP and ILO Convention and Brazil’s own Constitution.
Congress has not authorized the project, as required by Brazil’s Constitution in Article 231.
The right of Indigenous Peoples to Free, Prior, Informed Consent (FPIC) was completely ignored. Although 11 municipalities would be directly affected by the construction, only four public hearings have been held.
There was a lot of outrage, and revolt at the meeting, against the violence, disregard for the law, and complete ignorance on the part of the government. The opposition mass organizations against the Xingu river’s Belo Monte, clearly manifested their anger, and disbelieve, that Lula signed the contract yesterday with the Energy Consortium Electronorte
The newly created joint resistance movement to the hydroelectric plants in the four rivers organized a number of joint actions, such as reproduction and analysis of existing legal actions against the projects, joint mobilizations in November this year, the socialization of public campaigns and communication against dams -- nationally and internationally -- and ongoing exchange and support on the local, national and international level.
The meeting also produced a complaint to the Federal Public Ministry, and was signed by all present, requesting a halt to the allegedly unlawful acts committed by the Energy Consortium Electronorte.
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