Empower Indigenous Brazilians to Save their Amazon

As the festivities of Carnival entertained most people in Brazil last month, residents of the Xingu River basin received devastating news. The company building Belo Monte - in the midst of their Amazon homeland - requested the operating license for the dam. This action brings the reality of the dam ever closer, including flooding of the Xingu River basin, further relocation of families, lack of adequate compensation, and the end of traditional livelihoods and cultures.

But it also defies the requirements defined by Brazil’s environmental agency when it granted the installation license to Norte Energia for the dam. Homes that have been built are falling apart and thousands of families do not yet have a new home. Schools and health centers have not been built or are not operational. Electrical infrastructure is inadequate or non-existent. Sanitation systems are poorly constructed – in fact, many people are complaining that the smell in the new neighborhoods is unbearable. Even moreso relocation efforts are not respecting family and community relationships, causing the disintegration of these important social structures.

Furthermore, the influx of dam workers and Norte Energia’s efforts to pacify opposition to the dam has wreaked havoc on the communities as described in a recent article in “The Guardian.” Social ills such as prostitution, drug abuse, and violence are now commonplace. In a recent interview with Amazon Watch, the long-time leader of the Xingu Alive Forever movement, Antonia Melo, describes the impacts as “an extremely humiliating situation that has turned people’s hopes of a better life into a nightmare.

Despite years of protests and campaigning, indigenous communities continue to demand justice. In February they blockaded the primary highway into the region and are adamant that they will continue to seek recognition and demand compliance by the State and the company.

AIDA remains committed to representing the people of the Xingu communities in international forums. Our advocacy for their human rights is as important as ever - not only for the residents of the Xingu River, but for the precedent it will set throughout Latin America where hundreds of dams are being proposed or constructed, very often without recognition of the negative human and environmental impacts.

Legal work requires patience, as results don’t come immediately; therefore a long term commitment is a must. Thank you so much for supporting AIDA and our efforts to right the wrongs of the Belo Monte dam. We welcome your donation for this important work.

With gratitude, thank you from all of us at AIDA!

When I visited the construction site of the Belo Monte dam a few months ago, I was devastated. In the city of Altamira, violence and tension are palpable. To protect dam construction from any delays, the city is militarized, with state police constantly patrolling the streets, and National Security Forces at dam worksites. My close colleagues saw a couple being murdered next to where they were eating dinner. We felt as if we were being followed and watched.

Along with another AIDA attorney and our regional partners, I visited indigenous communities that will soon lose access to the river, and with it their way of life and sacred sites.

Meanwhile, Dilma Rouseff, president of Brazil and then candidate for re-election, was presenting Belo Monte as one of the most important infrastructure projects of her government. Without stepping foot in the most affected cities and communities, Rouseff recorded a campaign video from the construction site praising the magnitude of the dam. In it, she promotes Belo Monte as a great contribution, while ignoring its grave impacts, clearly illuminating her priorities.

“Many people in Brazil don’t know that we’re building a project of this size,” she says with pride. She notes that the amount of concrete in it could create 48 Maracanã [Rio de Janeiro’s soccer stadium], and that construction will excavate more rocks and earth than were moved for the Panama Canal.

She says nothing about the impact on people and their communities. Nor does she address reports on the energy inefficiency of the Belo Monte dam.

Our AIDA team visits the area often to document the situation. We sympathize with the pain of the affected people. They are witnessing the increasing degradation of the river, the decline in natural resources, and the deterioration of their communities. They are envisioning the complete loss of their culture and way of life.

The day before I traveled to Brazil, I found out I was pregnant. At various times during my stay, I felt fear and distress. I was worried for the safety of my friends, of myself, and of the little person growing inside of me.

At the same time, I felt confident that our work was important for a healthier and more just world - for all of us who are here, and those of us who are on the way. We must continue to press for recognition and full protection of the rights of affected people, and for mitigation and compensation.

Far greater than politics are the life and integrity of people. I refuse to lose hope that justice will be done!

This holiday season, please consider a gift to help AIDA continue this important work, to defend the rights of communities impacted by Belo Monte.

Thank you so much for your support!