Continental Meeting of affected by dams unite 21 countries

For water, energy and people sovereignty, these are the themes of the First Continental Meeting of People Affected by Dams, which will happen in Panama, between September 24th and 27th. Movement of People Affected by Dams in Latin America and Caribbean (MAR) and allies organizes the meeting. The encounter meets affected by dams, mining projects, workers of energy sector and allies organizations of 21 countries of all American continent, even guests of others parts of world. 

The meeting’s main objective is to make the evaluation of the MAR building process, to analyse the Latin American conjuncture and to emphasize the territories resistance against the dams.   

Sonia Mara, who is part of the Movement of People Affected by Dams in Brazil (MAB), said that “to make a meeting with affected by dams in Latin America means to organize the resistance and the struggles in the main territories where are the biggest sources of water, energy and food in the world.”

For Juan Pablo Soler, who is part of the Life Rivers Movement (Movimiento Rios Vivos) in Colombia, “the people come to Panama from 21 countries of Latin America and delegations from Unites States, Canada and Uganda to attend an invitation for strengthen an international articulation.”

During the continental meeting, will happen an academy seminar, free to the Panama community, called “For water, energy and people sovereignty”, on Wednesday, 25th, 18 o’clock, in saloon José Dolores Moscote, of the Economy College, in the Panama University. 

“Our struggle is against the private appropriation of our riches”, says Sonia Mara before the meeting begin. 

Movement of People Affected by Dams in Latin America (MAR)

Created in 2016, the Movement of People Affected by Dams in Latin America (MAR), began in a context of intensification of affected rights violation. The Movement mains proposals are to make a regional articulation for unite the struggles, to exchange experiences of resistance in our territories and strengthen national organizations of peasants, affected by dams and mega projects, in 12 countries: México, Colombia, Brazil, Chile, Honduras, Guatemala, Bolivia, El Salvador, Argentina, Peru, Paraguay and Cuba.