MAB participates and supports popular mobilization

Considering the proteststhat spreadacross the countryin almostall statesof Brazil, the Movement of People Affectedby Dams(MAB) reinforcesthe importanceof these protests to conquer historical demandsof the populationandurgentstructural changes forour society, among themurban mobilityand the price of thebus fares.

Popular struggleis today’s agenda and it is upto all of us to be within the actions of a popular project of (and for) the working class, which has been gestated for years bysocial movements, organizationsand trade unions. However, we see that theyouth have a fundamental rolein conductingtheseprotests, like the Free PassMovement (Movimento Passe Livre – MPL) and the Popular Youth Upraise (Levante Popular da Juventude).

We warn against the right wing actions attempting to mischaracterizethe protests of its popular character. Those right winged actions have agendas which don’t meet the desires of the majority of the protesters, who want structural changes. Moreover, we rejecttheviolent actionscoordinated by the right-wing governments which use the Military Police andthe National Force who use instruments of the military dictatorship tosuppress anddisperseprotesters; as was recently seen in the state of SãoPauloandMinasGerais.

Thepopular agendas arefairly broad and include: improvement in public health services and education,thecampaign “The Petrol is ours” (defence of national sovereignty and against delivering the petrol to international companies), changes in the energy model, democratizationof the media, agrarian reform and reductionof the priceofelectricity. We denouncethat the Brazilian populationis stillpayingone of themost expensive electricity ratesin the world andtransnational corporationssuch asSuezTractebelandAESEletropauloprofit fromthe wealthof our countryand with the moneyof the Brazilian people. However, at this moment we strengthen the unity and national struggle, for the improvementin urban mobility, the reduction of public transport faresandfor breakingthe cartelofbus companiesinBrazil.

The people affected by dams in all the country take participate in the popular mobilizations and reinforce that this is also the moment for the Brazilian State to create the National Rights Policy for People Affected by Dams. With this, the rights of those affected should be truly recognized and attended. We also demand the Brazilian State to put an end on violation of the Human Rights of those affected by dams and affected by the operation of dams in Brazil and in other countries.

We are together and we encourage all the struggles which are happening and which will come. We feel that we are going through another conjuncture, in which the role of the youth and social movements are very important and increasingly decisive. Only mobilization and popular organization can change society’s unjust structure from the roots and improve Brazilian people’s life.

June 20 of 2013

National Coordination

Movement of the People Affected by Dams (MAB) (Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens (MAB))