Belo Monte consortium prohibits demonstrations

The companies Norte Energia and Belo Monte Constructions succeeded in the Pará State Court to issue an interdiction against the Movement of People Affected by Dams (MAB) and the Movement Xingu Forever Alive (MXVPS). The movements are prohibited from organising any action that would interfere in the process of the construction of the dam. If they ignore, they will be fined 50,000 BRL a day.

The action was organized by the companies of the Belo Monte dam consortium and slavishly accepted by a judge of the 4th Civil Court of the District of Altamira. The judge issued a “Interdito Proibitório” (prohibited interdiction) and as such criminalized the work of the movements who defend the rights of the affected populations.

The decision was issued one day before a meeting to be held in the Bulamarque School of Miranda about 30 km from the main construction area. The event gathered more than 500 people affected by the Belo Monte dam, organized by MAB, who sought to claim their rights and the action of the judge was clearly an attempt to inhibit any attempt to rally those affected.

MAB remembered the companies, government and judiciary, the report approved by the Council of Defense of Human Rights of the Secretariat for Human Rights of the Federal Government, that indicates the existence of a practice and a consistent pattern of human rights violations in dam construction in Brazil.

More than 40 thousand people are being affected by the Belo Monte Hydroelectric Dam and yet little or nothing was done, even after the 22.5 billion BRL loan – of public money – that the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) released for the construction.

MAB repudiates the position of the judiciary in favor of the human rights violators, without wanting to listen to those affected by the dam.

MAB affirms that the struggle of the affected populations is a fair reaction against the aggression of the construction companies, and while there is injustice, the people’s struggle is legitimate and will continue, even though this is against the interests of the powerful.

Sovereignty of water and energy, wealth distribution and popular control!