Ibedrola : GUILTY

Dirty energy, greenwash, micro salaries, job insecurity, outsourcing, monopoly, colonization, evasion, social and environmental destruction, corruption, human rights violation … The Basque transnational company Iberdrola was declared GUILTY by the People’s Court established by more than 30 social movements from 16 countries in the old center of Bilbao on Wednesday 30th of October 2013.

Over twenty witnesses of crimes by Iberdrola from the northern hemisphere to the south made ??the accusations. In Brazil, the transnational acts as Neoenergeia, is active in the consortium that owns the Belo Monte dam (Pará state) and in the dam of Foz do Iguaçu, (Paraná state), amongst the generation and distribution of electricity.

Accusations were made against Ibedrola’s participation in wind energy projects in Oaxaca (Mexico) and Crete (Greece), and in nuclear power and hydroelectric plants in Spain. Company workers denounced the terrible working conditions, including outsourcing, excessive working hours and prohibiting union activities.

After the trial the participants marched through the streets of Bilbao. They started in front of the bank BBVA, also accused of violating human rights and destroying the environment worldwide due to energy sector projects it finances. Two activists arrived to plunge into the fountain in front of the headquarters of the bank, ignoring the cold vasco winter to call attention to these problems.

Under candlelight in homage to killed comrades fighting against the transnational, protesters marched to the headquarters of Iberdrola, a building which cost the public treasury of the capital of the Basque Country 20 million Euros. A marching band with Brazilian rhythms pulled the rows.

“Iberdrola has a historical debt with Brazil, Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia and also with the Basque Country. Iberdrola advertise that they produce clean energy, but actually produce blood in our countries” said Leonardo Bauer, national coordinator of the Movement of People Affected by Dams (MAB) of Brazil.

The entities participate in this week’s International Seminar “Food, water and energy are not commodities”, organized by MAB and Mundubat.