President Lula goes to Mariana to discuss the actions of the New Renegotiation Agreement
Together with the ministerial delegation, the president announced new measures for reparations for those affected by the collapse of the Fundão Dam. MAB was present to reaffirm the struggle and present the challenges that remain after almost 10 years since the crime.
Publicado 25/06/2025 - Atualizado 03/07/2025


Last Thursday morning (12), President Lula and his ministerial entourage were in the city of Mariana (MG) to discuss the reparation measures that are part of the New Doce River Basin Renegotiation Agreement. The new agreement, ratified in November 2024, provides for an amount of R$170 billion in reparations for those affected by the collapse of Samarco’s Fundão Dam (Vale and BHP) – a crime that took place in 2015 and contaminated the entire Doce River Basin. The aim is that, over the course of 20 years, all 49 affected cities (between Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo) will receive reparations in a wide range of areas such as health, education, the environment, agriculture and income.
Investments in health, environment and income
During a visit to Mariana (MG), President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced the main points of the New Settlement Agreement. According to him, responsibility for repairing the damage will now be formally assumed by the Federal Government. Of the R$100 billion provided for in the agreement, R$49.8 billion will be the responsibility of the Union, while the rest will be the responsibility of the governments of Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo.
In the area of health, R$11 billion will be invested in a structuring program for the entire affected region, implemented by the Unified Health System (SUS). Part of the funds will go towards strengthening surveillance and training the population to closely monitor the application of investments. The construction of a University Hospital in Mariana, linked to the Federal University of Ouro Preto (UFOP), has also been confirmed.
In the environmental field, R$8.13 billion will be earmarked for the recovery of springs, the management of toxic waste and reforestation actions. The Minister for the Environment, Marina Silva, stressed that “the health of nature is the health of people”, and defended the urgent need to restore degraded areas. It is planned to produce and plant around 30 million seedlings from local nurseries.

The agreement also includes income transfer actions. Around R$3.75 billion will go to fishermen and family farmers affected by the crime. The agreement also provides for R$7.8 billion for traditional, indigenous and quilombola communities affected. The Definitive Compensation Program (PID) provides for payments of R$95,000 for farmers and fishermen, and R$35,000 for others affected.
One of the important advances pointed out by the government is the creation of a Federal Council for Social Participation in the Doce River Basin and Capixaba Coast, which will involve those affected in the management and monitoring of the application of resources. According to Minister Márcio Macedo, from the General Secretariat of the Presidency, those affected will have an active voice in monitoring the implementation of the programs and the meetings will take place in the territories themselves.
MAB’s position
During the event, the national coordinator of the Movement of People Affected by Dams (MAB), Letícia Oliveira, spoke on behalf of those affected by the Doce River Basin. In her speech, she stressed that, for the movement, the moment was not one of celebration, but of reaffirming the struggles and presenting the challenges that are still pending, even almost 10 years after the crime committed by Samarco, Vale and BHP Billiton.

MAB pointed out that full reparations are still a long way off, with unfinished resettlements and entire communities living in precarious conditions. The movement denounced that what is in dispute in the region is the defense of profit over life, recalling that Mariana, historically marked by gold and iron mining, has a strong economic dependence on mining, and that those who fight for sovereignty and environmental justice continue to be persecuted.
Letícia Oliveira said that the lack of punishment for those responsible for the dam collapse in Mariana has strengthened impunity and paved the way for new crimes to occur, such as the case in Brumadinho. According to her, those affected continue to fall ill, face contamination of rivers and territories, while environmental reparations remain insufficient.
The MAB harshly criticized the compensation model proposed in the new agreement. According to the movement, the amount of R$35,000 offered as a final payment to thousands of people affected is insufficient and has been accepted, most of the time, only by people in extreme need. Furthermore, by accepting this amount, those affected are forced to give up any future claims, which represents a loss of rights. The movement also denounced the difficulties imposed on farmers and fishermen in accessing higher amounts of compensation, due to bureaucracy and the requirement for documentation that is often inaccessible. Faced with these obstacles, MAB says that many of those affected continue to seek justice through other channels, including international actions, such as those in England.
The organization also pointed out that more than 200,000 requests for recognition of those affected have been denied or ignored, and that entire territories are still outside the renegotiation agreement. Despite these challenges, the MAB celebrated some of the guarantees brought about by the new agreement, such as the strengthening of the SUS in the region, the creation of a health fund and the commitment to universal basic sanitation, which are seen as important points in the reparations process.
Another highlight was the provision for the participation of those affected in the management of resources through a Federal Council for Social Participation. MAB argues that this active presence should also be guaranteed with independent technical advice (ATI) and with room for adjustments in the agreement, especially in relation to traditional peoples and communities that have not yet been recognized.

Finally, the movement praised the fact that the resources from the renegotiation are directed exclusively to the Doce River Basin, avoiding redistribution to other regions, as had been proposed by the state government in previous agreements. Letícia stressed that, despite so much suffering and injustice, the people of the Basin remain hopeful and on the side of justice. On behalf of those affected, MAB stood by the federal government to implement the planned programs, but without giving up the demand for justice and punishment for those responsible.
