Empower Indigenous Brazilians to Save their Amazon

Many of us spent a good portion of June and July focused on the excitement of the Brazil-hosted World Cup games. But not all Brazilians were so intrigued.

While almost everyone loves soccer in Brazil, many communities were distracted by socially and environmentally damaging mega-projects – including the Belo Monte Dam. For them, there is continued anger and frustration with the destructive impacts of state investment in big-ticket infrastructure.

Two well-written overviews provide perspective on the impacts of Belo Monte:

• A poignant photo essay by MSNBC
• An insightful editorial on Conversation.com

The realities affecting our clients in Belo Monte have kept AIDA’s team of attorneys focused during the World Cup. Together with partner organizations, AIDA submitted a brief to Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court. The information demonstrates that congressional approval of the Belo Monte Dam in 2005 is illegal because the government didn’t guarantee the affected communities in the Amazon their right to consultation and "free, prior and informed consent."

“This is the first time that our combined efforts have reached the Supreme Court on Belo Monte,” said AIDA attorney María José Veramendi Villa. “The situation has reached a crisis level.”

In August, two AIDA attorneys will travel to Belo Monte. They will continue to collect testimony, meet with client communities and partner organizations, and document the social and environmental consequences.

Your support has made our work possible, and this provides hope that we can succeed in ensuring that justice is served for those affected by Belo Monte.

Thank you.

Links:

• Read more about AIDA's work in Belo Monte