Justice and Human Rights Brazil Project #13692

Empower Indigenous Brazilians to Save their Amazon

by Asociacion Interamericana Para La Defensa Del Ambiente (AIDA)

Empower Indigenous Brazilians to Save their Amazon

Project Report | Oct 28, 2023
AIDA's Ongoing Efforts to Protect the Amazon

By Isabela Feijo | Attorney

Maira Irigaray

Support for communities affected by Belo Monte and Belo Sun remains active, with ongoing monitoring of the progress and challenges in these cases. In addition to our internal actions, AIDA has been collaborating with the Alianza pela Volta Grande do Xingu group, with the goal of contributing to the defense of the region as a socially and environmentally sustainable territory. On the international front, in August of this year, we submitted a report to the DESC Committee during the 74th Committee Session. This report highlighted information and recommendations concerning human rights violations committed by Brazil in these cases, as well as the country's failure to adopt effective measures to hold companies accountable for human rights due diligence.

Furthermore, AIDA supported advocacy work during the 4th cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Canada. This involved contributing to the compilation of reports on violations committed by Canadian companies in the Amazon, including the cases of Belo Monte and Belo Sun. In this initiative, AIDA facilitated the participation of one of the environmental defenders affected by Belo Sun as part of the Brazilian delegation during the pre-session of the cycle in Geneva. This work was successful and resulted in the submission of reports to 13 other countries, as well as meetings with permanent missions and UN agencies.

At the Brazilian domestic level, community mobilization through the work conducted by Alianza strengthened the actions of indigenous and riverside communities affected by Belo Sun during the company's environmental licensing trial. We achieved a favorable outcome with the change to federal licensing authority. However, the decision was also marked by uncertainty regarding the company's environmental studies, which are at risk of being confirmed. We will support the monitoring of this process to demand respect for due diligence and human rights in this case.

Regarding the Belo Monte case, in October of this year, we received a response from the Brazilian state regarding compliance with the precautionary measures being processed by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Our next steps will involve responding to this document, providing updates on human rights violations, and seeking working meetings with Brazil and the Commission to establish a schedule of activities and measures to fulfill the obligations of the Brazilian state.

AIDA remains deeply committed to its mission of defending the rights of affected communities and the protection of critical ecosystems in the face of environmental challenges. Our collaborative efforts, both within Brazil and on the international stage, aim to ensure that the necessary diligence and respect for human rights are upheld, particularly in cases like Belo Monte and Belo Sun. As we continue to advocate for justice and sustainability, we stand in solidarity with the communities of Xingu and environmental defenders, working tirelessly to create a more just and environmentally responsible world. We encourage you to visit our website at aida-americas.org and collaborate with us as we continue to advocate for a healthier environment in Latin America and worldwide.

Links:

https://aida-americas.org/en

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Jul 3, 2023
Belo Monte: Advocacy & Action for Rights

By Isabela Feijo | Fellow Attorney - Human Rights Program

Amazon Watch-Maira Irigaray

The operations of the Belo Monte Dam in Brazil, the third-largest in the world, has resulted in the displacement of over 20,000 people from the Xingu Indigenous Territory, threatening their livelihoods. And, a new threat has been added by the potential opening of a gold mine by Belo Sun Mining Corporation in Volta Grande, a section of the Xingu River. AIDA's legal team addressed the Brazilian State's non-compliance with the precautionary measures granted in 2011 by submitting a detailed report to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) in February 2022.

To monitor the process of the Precautionary Measures, the IACHR held a meeting on April 11, 2023, where AIDA members and representatives of the Brazilian State participated, aiming to establish concrete measures to be fulfilled by the State this year. These measures emphasized the consideration of ecological and social factors in any decision related to the environmental licensing process of Belo Monte.

The IACHR has emphasized that this represents an important moment in the case. The Brazilian State must present, along with its written response, a work schedule to be followed by the representatives of the victims and by the Inter-American body. This meeting marks the beginning of a new phase in the case, characterized by a more open political context for discussing and complying with the precautionary measures for Belo Monte. The IACHR has expressed its willingness to move forward with the case and provide closer follow-up, including the scheduling of future meetings.

During this period, as AIDA awaits the State's written response, we have been engaging in meetings with external partners and allies to discuss next steps. AIDA is also organizing a trip to the Volta Grande region of the Xingu to meet with victims, collect crucial data, and gather evidence. Simultaneously, we are actively involved in addressing the activities of the Belo Sun mining company in our role as part of an alliance called the Alliance for the Grand Volta do Xingu, consisting of various civil society organizations. We collaborate on legal actions and national and international advocacy to safeguard environmental and human rights in the region. In July 2023, the group will have a hybrid -in person and virtual- meeting to strategize actions, addressing issues on the defense of human rights defenders who face threats for opposing the mining and hydroelectric projects, and holding companies accountable for human rights violations.

Links:

AIDA

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Mar 3, 2023
Safeguarding The Life of The Xingu Communities

By Marcella Ribeiro d'Avila Lins Torres | Human Rights and Environment Program

Photo Credits: Amazon Watch-Maira Irigaray

Located in the northern part of the Xingu River in Brazil, the Belo Monte Dam is the third-largest dam in the world. Over 20,000 people from the Xingu Indigenous Park have been forced to leave their communities and have lost their main resource of survival. A new threat has arisen, as Belo Sun Mining Corporation is looking to open a gold mine in Volta Grande, part of the Xingu River.

After the Belo Monte case meeting in the Inter-American System in December 2021, the AIDA legal team sent a detailed report to the IACHR in February 2022. The report focused on the status of the non-compliance by the Brazilian State of the Precautionary Measures granted in 2011.

In response, the State of Brazil sent insufficient information on the allegations of human rights violations suffered by the traditional communities and indigenous people affected by Belo Monte. The Brazilian government tried to excuse itself by arguing that the company that operates the hydroelectric plant would be responsible for the violations.

As part of AIDA’s commitment to local communities and organizations, in February 2023 we sent a second detailed report on the situation. The report focused on the negative impacts for 11 indigenous communities and 25 riverine communities affected by blockage of the river for electricity production. In particular, our report highlighted extreme poverty caused by the environmental degradation to the river.

In 2022, the Brazilian authorities internally recognized that there was an extinction of fishing in the Xingu River, as a result of drought and a decrease in the quality of its waters. This demonstrated the seriousness of the impacts that have been denounced by the communities, such as the inability of using the river water for cooking, bathing, or cultural activities without suffering from stomach and skin diseases. It also exposed the level of environmental degradation resulting from the large hydroelectric dams and how these mega-interventions have destroyed the traditional way of life of the Xingu people, putting their integrity and health at risk. In addition, our report highlighted the impacts on the mental health of these populations, who were forced to leave a life of interdependence and symbiosis with their environment. Communities that were sustained by their surroundings, now depend on welfare policies and charity in the cities to which they have been forced to relocate.

In the report AIDA asks the IACHR to follow up on the Precautionary Measures granted in 2011, to guarantee the life and integrity of the Xingu communities. This would require the Brazilian government to determine that the company that operates Belo Monte must guarantee a minimum essential amount of water in the natural course of the river, so that the ecosystem processes can resume functioning, guaranteeing the life of the river and its people.

Links:

Belo Sun Project

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