November, 15 2013, 02:34pm EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Christian Poirier, Amazon Watch, +33 770 381 849, christian@amazonwatch.org
Gert-Peter Bruch, Planète Amazone, +33 610 236 544, gert@raoni.com
Brent Millikan, International Rivers, +55 61 8153 7009, brent@internationalrivers.org, @BrentMillikan
Brazil's Belo Monte Dam Faces Renewed Protest in Europe
Street protests in Paris follow lively debate in European Parliament in Brussels
PARIS
Brazil's polemic Belo Monte Dam faced fresh protests in Europe this week marked by a Brussels conference where EU Green Party Parliamentarians and diverse dam opponents sparred with leading Brazilian government officials. Protest activities then shifted to Paris where today's street demonstrations and public events led by Amazonian activist, Antonia Melo, denounce French and other European corporate interests backing Brazil's Amazon dam-building boom. Convened by EU Green Party leaders Ulrike Lunacek of Austria and Eva Joly and Catherine Greze of France after their fact-finding trip to the Brazilian Amazon in July, yesterday's parliamentary conference entitled "Belo Monte Mega-Dam: The Amazon up for grabs?" elicited special attention from the office of Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff, whose Ambassador Vera Barrouin Machado exerted diplomatic pressure to demand the last-minute inclusion of top energy planner Mauricio Tolmasquim in the program, after having ignored earlier invitations. The Brazilian delegation also included Joao Pimentel, Director of Institutional Relations at Belo Monte's Norte Energia consortium currently building the dam on the Amazon's Xingu River.
While the Parliamentarians and dam opponents decried Belo Monte's serious environmental and human rights impacts and flagrant illegalities, Brazilian government representatives maintained that the project is a model of sustainable development. The contentious debate reached a peak when Mr. Tolmasquim asserted: "Belo Monte is not only a dam, it's a regional development program with benefits for the planet and humanity, but especially for local communities."
"What sort of human rights are these?" asked Antonia Melo, coordinator of the Xingu Alive Forever Movement who lives in the affected city of Altamira. "All we see is disrespect of democracy and the rule of law while people are being driven from their homes with no compensation."
Felicio Pontes, a Federal Public Prosecutor from the state of Para, noted that 20 civil lawsuits have been filed since 2001 by his office (Ministerio Publico Federal) due to gross violations of human rights and environmental law in the licensing and construction of Belo Monte. "The only reason construction of Belo Monte continues is that a legal artifice dating back to the military dictatorship, known as "Suspensao de Seguranca" (security suspension) allows chief justices of federal courts in Brazil, upon request from the central government, to unilaterally suspend decisions on lawsuits against violations of human rights and environmental legislation, invoking supposed threats to the country's economic order."
"A debate like the one organized today by the EU Greens in Brussels - bringing together grassroots activists, scientific experts, public prosecutors and federal government officials - has simply never happened in Brazil. The top brass of the Rousseff administration has consistently refused to participate in Congressional hearings and other public debate on violations of human rights and environmental legislation associated with Belo Monte," noted Brent Millikan of International Rivers. At the close of the session, Ms. Lunacek appealed to Brazilian government officials to find "better ways to deal with criticisms" regarding the serious social and environmental problems of Belo Monte.
Antonia Melo traveled to France today to denounce the French corporate interests behind Belo Monte and other Brazilian mega-dams under construction. Dozens of protestors joined her at the financial heart of Paris to rally outside the offices of Alstom, a key turbine supplier to Norte Energia, followed by actions in front of the headquarters of energy giants, GDF Suez and Energie de France (EDF) - companies implicated in notorious projects like the Jirau dam on the Madeira River and the Rousseff administration's planned Tapajos Complex. While their harmful actions are relatively unknown among the French public, these corporate interests are eagerly seeking to reap profits off an unprecedented dam building boom that is ravaging rivers and communities across the Amazon, while publicity campaigns proclaim them as "cheap and clean energy."
"Antonia brings the voice of affected communities to Paris today to raise public awareness on a critical issue," said Christian Poirier of Amazon Watch. "We can no longer tolerate the rapacious profiteering of the global dam industry, which is complicit in crimes like Belo Monte."
Protestors highlighted the major role of the French state in both GDF Suez and EDF, with public shareholdings of 36% and 84%, respectively. "Essentially the French taxpayer is helping to bankroll Amazon destruction," asserted Gert-Peter Bruch of the French NGO Planete Amazone. "This fact is undoubtedly something the public would not support and why it is essential we bring home our message."
While some observers claim that the Belo Monte polemic has faded as the dam's construction has advanced, this week's activities in the EU attest to a different reality. Critics of Belo Monte and other recent Amazonian dam projects are increasingly pressing for the Brazilian government (including the taxpayer-funded National Development Bank - BNDES) and corporate interests to be held accountable for the social and environmental dams caused by destructive projects. "The expansion of the model of dam construction witnessed in Belo Monte to other Amazonian Rivers such as the Tapajos, where an unprecedented cascade of dams are planned with direct involvement of GDF Suez and EDF, will likely only provoke more fierce criticism both at home and abroad" stated Christian Poirier of Amazon Watch.
More information:
- High-resolution photos from the protest
- Telma Monteiro blog on the Brussels meeting
- Video of the meeting in European Parliament
LATEST NEWS
Listen Live: US Supreme Court Hears Outrageous Argument That Trump Is Above the Law
"The American people deserve a Supreme Court that does not hesitate to declare that no one is above the law, including a former president," said one campaigner.
Apr 25, 2024
After months of delay, the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday will hear oral arguments in a closely watched case on whether former President Donald Trump should be immune from criminal charges stemming from his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss—an argument that legal experts say is both absurd and dangerous.
Listen live to the oral arguments, which are set to begin at 10:00 am ET:
Thursday's proceedings mark the high court's final argument of its current term, and pro-democracy campaigners are calling on the justices to quickly reject the former president's sweeping immunity claim so he can face trial on federal election subversion charges before his November rematch with President Joe Biden.
As Bloomberg's Greg Stohr noted earlier this week, Thursday's oral arguments give "Special Counsel Jack Smith only a narrow window to put the former president in front of a Washington jury before voters go to the polls on November 5."
"With the trial on hold until the high court rules," Stohr added, "Smith needs a clear-cut victory, and he needs it quickly."
Sean Eldridge, founder and president of the progressive advocacy group Stand Up America, said in a statement Thursday that "the Supreme Court's right-wing majority has already handed Trump a temporary victory by stalling this case for months, allowing him to delay accountability for his criminal attempts to cling to power."
"With so much at stake for our democracy, the Supreme Court should rule swiftly and decisively in this case," said Eldridge. "Accountability delayed could mean accountability denied."
Keep ReadingShow Less
Grand Jury Indicts Top Trump Aides, 11 Arizona Republicans Over 'Fake Electors' Scheme
Had it succeeded, said the state's attorney general, the scheme would have "deprived Arizona's voters of their right to have their votes counted for their chosen president."
Apr 25, 2024
A grand jury in Arizona on Wednesday charged seven aides to Donald Trump and nearly a dozen Republican officials over a "fake electors" scheme in the state that aimed to keep the former president in power after his 2020 loss to President Joe Biden.
Trump, who is currently facing nearly 90 charges across four criminal cases as he runs for another White House term, was described as "unindicted co-conspirator 1" in the 58-page indictment, which was announced by Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes.
"The people of Arizona elected President Biden," Mayes, a Democrat, said Wednesday. "Unwilling to accept this fact, the defendants charged by the state grand jury allegedly schemed to prevent the lawful transfer of the presidency. Whatever their reasoning was, the plot to violate the law must be answered for."
The indictment names former Arizona Republican Party Chair Kelli Ward, sitting state Republican Sens. Jake Hoffman and Anthony Kern, former U.S. Senate candidate Jim Lamon, and seven others as the "fake electors" who sought to declare Trump the rightful winner of the state's presidential contest.
The names of other individuals indicted by the state grand jury are redacted, but the document's descriptions make clear that former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, and top Trump legal strategist Boris Epshteyn are among those facing felony charges—including fraud, forgery, and conspiracy.
"In Arizona, defendants, unindicted coconspirators, and others pressured the three groups of election officials responsible for certifying election results to encourage them to change the election results," the document reads. "Discussions about using the Republican electors to change the outcome of the election began as early as November 4, 2020. Those plans evolved during November based on memos drafted by [an attorney for the Trump campaign, Kenneth Chesebro]."
Mayes said Wednesday that had the fake elector scheme succeeded, it would have "deprived Arizona's voters of their right to have their votes counted for their chosen president."
"It effectively would have made their right to vote meaningless," said Mayes.
A state grand jury, made up of everyday, regular Arizonans, has handed down felony indictments in the ongoing investigation into the fake elector scheme in Arizona. pic.twitter.com/Nu8GcD4ZqJ
— AZ Attorney General Kris Mayes (@AZAGMayes) April 24, 2024
Alex Gulotta, state director of All Voting Is Local Action Arizona, said Wednesday that "the indictment of the eleven fake electors is one of the first steps required in holding these election deniers accountable for their alleged attempts to take power away from voters by disrupting our free and fair elections."
"Arizonans deserve to trust the election officials responsible for administering our elections and preserving our democracy," said Gulotta, "and this is a positive step forward as we continue to strengthen the foundations of our democracy and restore faith in our elections."
The Arizona Republicreported Wednesday that "several of the Arizona electors have previously claimed they were merely offering Congress a backup plan, though nothing in the documents they sent to Congress and the National Archives backs up that assertion."
"The indictment includes several statements the false electors made on social media that contradict those claims," the newspaper observed.
Jenny Guzman, director of Common Cause's Arizona program, said the indictment "marks the start of a new chapter for the fake elector scheme that has plagued Arizona."
"Arizonans are still dealing with the fallout from the false electors and the Big Lie about the 2020 elections," said Guzman. "We are relieved that the investigation by Attorney General Mayes has concluded and Arizonans can now know that what comes next is accountability. These efforts by these fake electors to undermine the will of Arizona’s voters have had implications far beyond their failed attempt to overthrow the 2020 election."
"This indictment can reassure all Arizonans that if anyone, regardless of their political affiliation, attempts to undermine their vote, consequences will follow," Guzman added.
Keep ReadingShow Less
Watchdog Urges FEC to Investigate Trump Campaign Over Scheme for Legal Fees
"By not disclosing the vendors that actually provided legal services, the Trump-affiliated committees effectively blocked the public from knowing which attorneys and firms are being paid—and how much."
Apr 24, 2024
A campaign finance watchdog on Wednesday filed a Federal Election Commission complaint accusing former President Donald Trump's 2024 campaign, affiliated political groups, and an accounting firm of violating U.S. law in a scheme "seemingly designed to obscure the true recipients of a noteworthy portion of Trump's legal bills."
The Washington, D.C.-based Campaign Legal Center (CLC) said that "evidence appears to show an illegal arrangement between several Trump-affiliated committees and a compliance firm named Red Curve Solutions that is designed to obscure the identities of those providing legal services and how much they are being paid."
"Voters have a right to know how the presidential campaigns and other committees supporting presidential candidates spend their money."
CLC alleges that the Trump campaign, Trump's political action committee (PAC) Save America, and three affiliated organizations "violated federal reporting requirements based on a scheme in which the committees reportedly paid over $7.2 million—described as 'reimbursement for legal' costs or expenses"—to Red Curve.
The watchdog also said that Red Curve appears to be "making or facilitating illegal contributions that violate either federal contribution limits or the prohibition on corporate contributions."
According to CLC:
Red Curve is a domestic limited liability company that offers compliance and FEC reporting services but does not appear to offer any legal services. It is managed by Bradley Crate, who also serves as the treasurer for each of the five Trump-affiliated committees concerned in this complaint, as well as over 200 other federal committees.
According to filings with the FEC, Red Curve appears to have been fronting legal costs for Trump since at least December 2022, with Trump-affiliated committees repaying the company later. This arrangement appears to violate FEC rules that require campaigns to disclose not only the entity being reimbursed (here, Red Curve) but also the underlying vendor. By not disclosing the vendors that actually provided legal services, the Trump-affiliated committees effectively blocked the public from knowing which attorneys and firms are being paid—and how much they are being paid—through this arrangement.
"Voters have a right to know how the presidential campaigns and other committees supporting presidential candidates spend their money," CLC senior director of campaign finance Erin Chlopak said in a statement. "When campaigns and committees obscure that information from the public, not only do they make it difficult to determine if the law has been violated, but they deny voters the ability to make an informed choice when casting a ballot."
"The steps taken by the Trump campaign, its affiliated committees, and Red Curve Solutions concealed information about how campaign funds were used to pay former President Trump's legal expenditures, including the amounts and ultimate recipients of these expenditures—and the FEC must investigate immediately," Chlopak added.
Trump—who is the presumptive 2024 GOP presidential nominee—faces 91 federal and state felony charges related to his role in the January 6 insurrection and his organization's business practices. He is currently on trial in New York for allegedly falsifying business records related to hush money payments to cover up sex scandals during the 2016 election cycle. The twice-impeached former president has been open about his use of campaign donations to pay his legal costs.
The new CLC filing comes a day after the watchdog filed separate FEC complaints urging investigations into a pair of Trump-affiliated "scam PACs," which "pretend to fundraise for major candidates or issues while secretly diverting almost all of their donors' money back into fundraising or the fraudsters' own pockets."
Keep ReadingShow Less
Most Popular