Document of II Seminar on Hydroelectric Dams in the Tapajós River Basin

Communities Meet in Itaituba to Discuss Planned Tapajós River Dams

  Glenn Switkes, International Rivers

Document of the II Seminar Debating the Plans for Hydroelectric Dams in the Tapajós River Basin

OPEN LETTER TO AUTHORITIES AND TO THE BRAZILIAN PUBLIC

Facing the plans of the Brazilian government and others for destroying the peoples, environment, and the Tapajós River itself, we are not going to remain passive. Our government DOES NOT HAVE THE RIGHT to violate our dignity, building hydroelectric dams without prior discussion with those who would suffer their negative impacts. Our government CANNOT violate the Federal Constitution nor can it legitimately change it to benefit big companies and the demands of international capital.

It is clear that the environment, economic, social and cultural impacts of dams in the Tapajós River basin would affect human, animal, and plant life, without respecting boundaries, or governmental agreements. So, we denounce the passive and active complicity of the government and its agencies (Eletronorte, Eletrobrás, etc.), in light of the crimes committed by dam building companies (Andrade Gutierrez, Odebrecht, Camargo Corrêa, Suez, etc.) and electric-intensive companies (Albras, Alunorte, Cia. Vale do Rio Doce, Pará Pigmento, Alcoa, Itacimpasa, Rio Tinto, Imerys Rio Capim Caulim, etc.) which consume huge quantities of energy, creating few jobs, while sacking our natural resources, contaminating our water, land, forests, and air, and destroying and violating the rights of local communities and indigenous peoples, preventing our children from even playing and eating the fish of the rivers of Amazonia.
Besides this, various protected areas are in the Tapajós region, among them the Amazonia National Park, with more than one million hectares, but which would be directly affected by the proposed dams, and threatened with the loss of its biodiversity, in addition to others including: Itaituba I e II National Forests, Amana National Forest, Jamanxim National Forest, Crepori National Forest, Trairão National Forest, the Tapajós Environmental Protection Area, Jamanxim National Park, and Rio Novo National Park.

Given the disrespect of our authorities for our people, we riverbank dwellers, family farmers, fishermen, indigenous people, socio-environmentalists, researchers, popular educators, youth, men, and women affected and threatened by the Tapajós Hydroelectric Complex and other projects, have decided:

We do not accept and we declare we are against the Tapajós Hydroelectric Complex which, besides hurting our culture and environment, will bring us no benefits. All benefits will go to investors and Brazilian and foreign companies.

We do not accept the fact that we are regarded as obstacles to Brazil´s economic growth, because we are Brazilians who will suffer all the consequences of these hydroelectric projects.
We hereby declare our tireless struggle in defense of river bank dwellers, family farmers, fishermen, quilombolas, indigenous peoples and traditional populations affected and threatened by the Tapajós Complex.

We, 404 men and women present at the Parque de Exposições Hélio da Mota Gueiros in the city of Itaituba, being indigenous and non-indigenous people from the Tapajós River basin know what we want and what we need to develop our region, because this is what we have been doing over the years - living in harmony with the birds, fish, and animals of our marvelous Amazon forest.
We want government policies to respect us.

We want investments in public policies for health, education, housing, family farming, fishing, and roads and everything else we need to live with dignity and to conserve the environment and our culture for present and future generations.

Finally, we express our support and solidarity with our companions (MAB, MST, FETAGRI, STTR, CPT) who have been arrested and who are victims of the consequences of Tucurui Dam, nearly 30 years after its construction.

WE WANT OUR RIVERS ALIVE FOR PRESENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS!

"WE DO NOT ACCEPT THIS DAM, AND IF THEY TRY TO BUILD IT
WE ARE GOING TO REACT"
Chief Suberalino Saw Munduruku

Itaituba, Pará state, April 30, 2009

SÃO LUIZ DO TAPAJÓS COMMUNITY
PIMENTAL COMMUNITY
BARREIRAS COMMUNITY
CAMPO VERDE COMMUNITY (KM 30 ON THE TRANSAMAZÔNICA)
ALDEIA NOVA INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY
PRAIA DO MANGUE INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY
PRAIA DO ÍNDIO INDIGGENOUS COMMUNITY
CURI COMMUNITY
FORDLÂNDIA COMMUNITY
JURUTI COMMUNITY
MOVIMENTO XINGU VIVO PARA SEMPRE
ARTICULAÇÃO PANAMAZÔNICA - APAN/FSM
INTERNATIONAL RIVERS
RÁDIO RURAL DE SANTARÉM
IAMAS - INSTITUTO AMAZÔNIA SOLIDÁRIA E SUSTENTÁVEL
FASE AMAZONIA (FEDERAÇÃO DE ÓRGÃOS PARA ASSISTENCIA SOCIAL E EDUCACIONAL)
FUNDO DEMA
FAOR
FÓRUM DOS MOVIMENTOS SOCIAIS DA BR 163
COLÔNIA DE PESCADORES DE ITAITUBA
COLÔNIA DE PESCADORES DE JACAREACANGA
CPT (COMISSÃO PASTORAL DA TERRA DE SANTARÉM)
FVPP (FUNDAÇÃO VIVER PRODUZIR E PRESERVAR)
MMCC BR 163-PARÁ
MMCC DE ALTAMIRA
MMCC-PARÁ (MOVIMENTO DE MULHERES DO CAMPO E DA CIDADE)
ASFITA (ASSOCIAÇÃO DOS FILHOS DE ITAITUBA)
STTR- SINDICATO DOS TRABALHADORES E TRABALHADORAS DE ITAITUBA
AMIPARNA - ORGANIZAÇÃO AMIGOS DO PARQUE NACIONAL DA AMAZÔNIA
COMISSÃO JUSTIÇA E PAZ DE ITAITUBA
PASTORAL DA JUVENTUDE DE ITAITUBA
COMPANHIA ECOLÓGICA E CULTURAL AMAZÔNIA VIVA
ASSOCIAÇÃO DE MULHERES DOMÉSTICAS DE SANTARÉM - AMDS
COMOPEBAM - COMISSÃO DO MOVIMENTO DE PESCADORES E PESCADORAS ARTESANAIS DO OESTE DO PARÁ E BAIXO AMAZONAS
EETEPA - ESCOLA ESTADUAL TECNOLÓGICA DO PARÁ - ITAITUBA
SINDICATO DA CONSTRUÇÃO CIVIL DE ITAITUBA
ASSOCIAÇÃO AICOTTACC DO PAE CURUÁ II SANTARÉM
PASTORAL SOCIAL DA DIOCESE DE SANTARÉM
FDA - FRENTE DE DEFESA DA AMAZÔNIA