The people affected by Belo Monte

Photo-reportage by Joka Madruga*

According to MAB, there are approximately 10 thousand families in Altamira directly affected by the lake of the Belo Monte dam. The company Norte Energia wants to start functioning until september this year and at the moment only 4100 houses were build to replace those affected. This is only one of the reasons that hundreds of people have protested against Belo Monte last Wednesday (March 11^th). See below the report of men and women from Altamira region that suffer with this situation.

Elinho. Photo: Joka Madruga/Terra Sem Males

José Elio da Silva, 82 years old, Elinho, is resident of Novo Horizonte neighborhood, at the municipality of Brasil Novo-PA. He is victim of the population increase in the region, due to the construction of the Belo Monte power plant. Because of this, the prices of the house-rents have increased absurdly, mainly at the cities of Brasil Novo and Vitória do Xingu. “We had no place to live and we went to occupy (what nowaday is Novo Horizonte neighborhood) ”, says Elinho.

City councilman João Artur. Foto: Joka Madruga/Terra Sem Males

The city councilman João Artur (PMN) from Altamira talks about the resettlement of Jatobá, which have been built to resettle the residents affected by the power plant and that this resettlement lacks necessary infrastructure to live. “We are very sad to see this situation. We have made reports and sent to the Federal Public Ministry and we have notified Norte Energia for the bad construction of the houses and lack of public policies. We do not have schools, kindergartens, the Health Clinic does not work as it had to and the public transport does not attend 100%”, says João Artur.

Pedro. Photo: Joka Madruga/Terra Sem Mals

Pedro Soares de Aragão, resident for more than 22 years at Ilha da Fazenda is a fisherman and have a strong feeling for the Xingu River. He complains about the Norte Energia’s negligence with his community. “The Xingu river is for me a richness, where I make my everyday living. And the company does not give assistance for us (located below the dam), says Pedro.

 Luzia. Photo: Joka Madruga/Terra Sem Males

Luzia Silva da Costa, is 58 years old, lives in Ilha da Fazenda, she is extremely worried with the future of her community. “The situation is difficult for us. The river is going to dry (the river is going to be deviated of its natural curse) and we don’t have conditions to stay there at the drought. We live from the river, its our life. We can’t live without water. And that is why we are demanding our rights,” says Luzia.

Raimundo e Raimunda from Vitória do Xingu. Photo: Joka Madruga/Terra Sem Males

Raimunda Fonseca Teixeira and Raimundo Santos da Costa are married and live from the fishery and agriculture in Vitória do Xingu-PA. They are not affected by the lake of the dam, but they live the problem of housing which is now much expensive due to the dam construction. “Before the rent was 50 to 100 Reais, today it varies in 400, 700 to 1000 Reais. Belo Monte have brought only difficulties for us. We can’t fish anymore there. The Xingu river is our richness, we were born by the big Xingu,” says the couple.

The wagoner Gilson de Jesus at the middle of his colleagues (black T-Shirt). Photo: Joka Madruga/Terra Sem Males

A category which is not directly affected, but already suffer with the consequences of Belo Monte, are the carters. In Altamira there is approximately 130 of them, they transport many things as sand, bricks, fish, wood and products that the riverine people buy and need to take to the boats. This kind of transport is the cheapest in the city. The people that work with this have lost their stands and are affected by the intense car traffic, putting their lives at risc. After the flood of the dam they will not have new stands, even if they would have, they will loose lot of their clients, because the riverine will be replaced to more distant places. “Belo Monte dues not recognize us as affected”, says Gilson de Jesus.

Val, resident of Asurini. Photo: Joka Madruga/Terra Sem Males

Elisvaldo Crispim Gomes, or Val, resident of Asurini community, in Altamira, feels intimidated and having his rights violated by the Belo Monte consortium. It is from the Xingu river that he lives from. “We dont know how Xingu is going to be after the lake. What we do know that it is going to be dammed and poluted. The wood were not remooved from here yet. We dont know which negative impacts might occur as plagues, mosquitos, venous insects. Another problem is the potable water for human consumption, because the lake is going to affected the water springs we use”, explains Val.

*Joka Madruga, photografer-reporte is in Altamira (PA) by the project Water for Life. The information are being published in its perfis social medial and at terrasemmales.com.br. To donate/contribute:  jokamadruga.com/aguas. (Edition of Paula Padilha, Terra Sem Males.)