3 June 2005
As of yesterday, May 31, people from communities affected by dams financed by the Inter American Development Bank (IDB) in Brazil have occupied the IDB’s Brasilia office. The three hundred-fifty protesters represent communities affected by the Cana Brava and Serra da Mesa dams, both located in the northern part of Brazil’s Goiás state.
The protesters demand that the Bank, the Federal Government and the Belgian multinational Tractebel immediately resolve the serious social, environmental and cultural problems resulting from the dam’s construction that displaced 986 families, the majority of whom have still received no compensation. The demand is directed at the IDB by occupying its offices because the Bank was one of the principal financiers of the Cana Brava dam built by Tractebel. Thus, MAB considers the financial institution to be as responsible as the owner of the dam for the resolution of the problems.
The protesters spent the night in the building and await an 11:00 Am meeting today (1/6) between representatives from BID and MAB. “We hope that the Bank will open roads for a conversation since Tractebel still has not met with us,” said Agenor da Costa, coordinator of the MAB for the Cana Brava region. Tractebel is one of the companies whose treatment of people affected by dams is the most violent in Brazil. We want to change this through pressure.”
The protesters are also waiting for the 12:30 visits from Flavio Valente, the director of Human Rights and Adequate Food organization, the Water and Rural Land, the DHESC Platform of Brazil, Mariela Dias, the adviser to the Federal Citizen’s Rights Office, the Attorney General of the Republic, and a representative from the Commission on Minorities and Human Rights of the Brazilian Parliament. The visits are among many signs of support being expressed for dam-affected communities. “We are willing to collaborate on a resolution to the conflict through the establishment of a negotiating table between the company, the families, and public officials,” said a MAB spokesperson.
Negotiations with FURNAS progress
Yesterday afternoon the MAB had their second meeting in a week with the directors of FURNAS, the government office responsible for the Serra da Mesa Dam. Negotiations began to move forward after the dam was occupied last week.
According to MAB’s leaders, the meeting addressed the promises made by the company regarding the unresolved problems of families affected by the dam. One promise is the immediate support to maintain families whose livelihoods were destroyed with the dam’s construction. The next meeting to address other reparations was set for Thursday.