Meeting brings together people affected by Samarco after tragedy

For the first time after the tragedy caused by Samarco mining company (Vale/BHP Billiton), the affected communities could meet in a larger encounter on this Thursday (19) in the city of Mariana (MG). The activity was organized by the Movement of People Affected by Dams (MAB), Mariana Archdiocese and federal prosecutors.

The activity lasted all day. At the opening, the bishop of the Archdiocese, Archbishop Geraldo Lyrio, spoke of the importance of those affected to organize themselves to fight for their rights. “We are all affected and we have to stay together. Unity is strength.”

In the activity, the residents of Bento Rodrigues and Paracatu districts could socialize, eat lunch together, swim in the pool and play ball. “We are rediscovering the community residents, a lot of people here I had not seen after the tragedy, it’s being good for us to entertain and forget a bit of the suffering,” said Marcelo Felício, a resident of Bento Rodrigues. Luzia Queiroz, from Paracatu de Baixo, also liked the activity: “It’s hard to have something like that for us here in Mariana, I liked it because we are distracted, many people are not ready yet to talk about what happened.”

Solidarity brigade

A brigade of MAB activists which is in the region to contribute to the organization of those affected were also presented. They are young people from the states of São Paulo, Bahia, Rondônia, Ceará, Paraná and from other places of Minas Gerais to do this work. “We were also affected by dams, we went through a similar situation that you are going through. We are here because we understand the importance of helping in the organization,” said MAB activist David Freitas affected by the Castanhão dam, from Ceará.

“I did not know this movement, I came to know it here, but I see what is good, because we did not know what to do, but now appeared people to help and I think this can work,” said Célis Vieira, of Bento Rodrigues .

https://www.flickr.com/photos/61181705@N07/23143233975/in/album-72157660668942177