A 2011 protest against the Belo Monte Dam. (Photo: Diego Mendonca/flickr/cc)
Jan 20, 2016
In a case described as precedent-setting, a Brazilian court has suspended the operating license for one of the world's biggest--and most controversial--dams.
The long-contested Belo Monte Dam, would be the world's third-largest such hydroelectric project, International Rivers explains, and would "divert the flow of the Xingu, devastate an extensive area of the Brazilian rainforest, displace over 20,000 people, and threaten the survival of indigenous tribes that depend on the river."
The court Federal Court in Altamira, Para, EFE reports, issued the suspension last Thursday because the company and government had failed for the past year to present a plan of how they would set up a regional office of the national Indian protection agency to help mitigate consequences the project would unleash.
The court also issued a fine to the company and government of $225,000 for the failure.
Writing in 2012, human rights advocate Bianca Jagger said the dam would "change the face of the Amazon basin forever," and, as it would necessitate creation of even more dams, she added, "The destruction will not stop at Belo Monte. Belo Monte is only the beginning of this human rights and environmental catastrophe."
Reutersreports that electricity generation from the dam was just weeks away.
Christian Poirier of Amazon Watch told the Guardian that though the decision would not stop Belo Monte, "This case sets an important precedent for the defence of indigenous rights in the Amazon at a time when the government is set to repeat the Belo Monte disaster by building dozens of dams on the Tapajos River."
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
In a case described as precedent-setting, a Brazilian court has suspended the operating license for one of the world's biggest--and most controversial--dams.
The long-contested Belo Monte Dam, would be the world's third-largest such hydroelectric project, International Rivers explains, and would "divert the flow of the Xingu, devastate an extensive area of the Brazilian rainforest, displace over 20,000 people, and threaten the survival of indigenous tribes that depend on the river."
The court Federal Court in Altamira, Para, EFE reports, issued the suspension last Thursday because the company and government had failed for the past year to present a plan of how they would set up a regional office of the national Indian protection agency to help mitigate consequences the project would unleash.
The court also issued a fine to the company and government of $225,000 for the failure.
Writing in 2012, human rights advocate Bianca Jagger said the dam would "change the face of the Amazon basin forever," and, as it would necessitate creation of even more dams, she added, "The destruction will not stop at Belo Monte. Belo Monte is only the beginning of this human rights and environmental catastrophe."
Reutersreports that electricity generation from the dam was just weeks away.
Christian Poirier of Amazon Watch told the Guardian that though the decision would not stop Belo Monte, "This case sets an important precedent for the defence of indigenous rights in the Amazon at a time when the government is set to repeat the Belo Monte disaster by building dozens of dams on the Tapajos River."
In a case described as precedent-setting, a Brazilian court has suspended the operating license for one of the world's biggest--and most controversial--dams.
The long-contested Belo Monte Dam, would be the world's third-largest such hydroelectric project, International Rivers explains, and would "divert the flow of the Xingu, devastate an extensive area of the Brazilian rainforest, displace over 20,000 people, and threaten the survival of indigenous tribes that depend on the river."
The court Federal Court in Altamira, Para, EFE reports, issued the suspension last Thursday because the company and government had failed for the past year to present a plan of how they would set up a regional office of the national Indian protection agency to help mitigate consequences the project would unleash.
The court also issued a fine to the company and government of $225,000 for the failure.
Writing in 2012, human rights advocate Bianca Jagger said the dam would "change the face of the Amazon basin forever," and, as it would necessitate creation of even more dams, she added, "The destruction will not stop at Belo Monte. Belo Monte is only the beginning of this human rights and environmental catastrophe."
Reutersreports that electricity generation from the dam was just weeks away.
Christian Poirier of Amazon Watch told the Guardian that though the decision would not stop Belo Monte, "This case sets an important precedent for the defence of indigenous rights in the Amazon at a time when the government is set to repeat the Belo Monte disaster by building dozens of dams on the Tapajos River."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.