Published on: 19th April, 2016
Approximately 150 people travelled along the banks of the Upper, Middle and Lower course of the Doce River between 11th and 14th April, bringing with them stories, resistance, injustice and the impacts of the largest crime and tragedy of Brazilian mining: the Samarco (BhP/Vale) mining tailings dam bursting in Mariana (Minas Gerais) in November 2015. The journey was part of the Doce River Basin Territorial Caravan’s activities, which aimed to give visibility to the consequences of this social and environmental crime; mobilize and register reports of violating the rights of the communities affected; and announce alternatives which assist with the social and environmental recovery of the region, pointing towards strengthening more sustainable productive and economic activities, such as family, small-scale and agroecological farming.
The routes met up in Governador Valadares (Minas Gerais) on 15th and 16th April and carried out activities and mobilizations against the invisibility and impunity for the disaster. The delegation was formed by more than 40 civil society organizations, including the National Agroecology Coordination (ANA), Brazilian Agroecology Association (ABA), Minas Gerais Agroecology Coordination (AMA), Brazilian Association of Collective Health (ABRASCO), Association of Brazilian Geographers (AGB), Ecumenical Coordination of Service (CESE), social movements (MAB, MST, MPA and MAM) and universities (such as UFV, UFJF and UFES), among other local organizations.
In the caravan’s final activities, a debate was held on mining and there were presentations by local cultural groups on 15th April and a walk and political act the following Saturday.
Political Table
The Political “Mining, development and water” Table was held in the afternoon of 15th April. Opening the debate, the Krenak peoples welcomed the occasion of the four caravan routes meeting, greeting the Great Watu River and marking the peoples’ leading role in the Doce River Basin.
In order to reflect on the situation and stimulate discussion, the table comprised Gabriel Rivo and Father Nelito, representatives from the Commission to Create a Permanent Forum in Defence of the Doce River; Edmundo Antonio Dias Netto Jr – Public Prosecutor (MPF-Minas Gerais); Marcelo Firpo, representative from the Brazilian Association of Collective Health (Abrasco) and Douglas Krenak, representative of the Krenak people.
The Public Prosecutor (MPF-Minas Gerais), Edmundo Antonio Dias Netto Jr, made his position known, confirming that the main rights denied to those affected by the Samarco crime are the right to information and participation in the decision-making processes for the negotiations. “Making an agreement between the Federal Government, the States of Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo and companies, without those affected taking part, is the same as someone holding another person’s rights, without listening to them. In other words, it is treating this person as an object and not a subject of rights”.
These violations have affected the traditional peoples who live along the river in particular, as there is non-compliance with an internationally signed agreement. “In relation to the Krenak, Tupiniquim, Guarani and other peoples and traditional communities, the Federal Government has not even applied the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 169, which foresees the need to hold a prior, free and informed consultation on the administrative measures which may affect them directly or indirectly”, he evaluates.
Douglas Krenak brought a discussion on the sacredness that lives in the Doce River for the indigenous peoples affected to the table. “Today we find ourselves in a desperate situation because the river is the source of our people’s lives. The problem is not us but the mining activities, uncontrolled dams which have been causing all of this misfortune and long-term genocide”.
For Krenak, the fight should continue while mining activities are not closed down or are inspected as a minimum. “The public authorities and companies are working to send this wealth out of the country and with nothing for us. Only the tragedy remains for us”, he observes.
Marcelo Firpo, from the Brazilian Association of Collective Health (Abrasco), criticises the use of the field of science in favour of a development model linked to mining. “We need a science that recognises, engages in and learns from traditional knowledge. It is not a denial of specialised science but the need for a science which acts ethically and answers fundamental questions: ‘What is the extent of the river pollution? What is the level of contamination which affects the food chains? What short and medium-term alternatives do we have to contribute to the quality of life of the peoples and communities in the region?’” is questioned, prompting the caravan to construct proposals that consider traditional and popular knowledge.
“The mainstream media’s silence is criminal, as is the crime of the dam. But if they have capital and the media to assist them, we have each other”. Gabriel Rivo called on those present to mobilize in order to take part in the Permanent Forum in Defence of the Doce River with these statements. The idea of creating the forum is to join forces to create a policy for the Doce River Basin and regain these rights.
Political act
“Water for life, not for death!” was the cry which echoed around the streets in the centre of Governador Valadares (Minas Gerais) on the afternoon of 16th April, during the walk that brought together participants from the Doce River Basin Territorial Caravan, local residents and traditional communities affected by the crime and tragedy. The aim of the popular mobilization was to make the consequences of the social and environmental disaster visible and call residents and shopkeepers in the town to join together in the fight to restore the river.
The walk was part of the height of the Caravan programme. Posters, songs, performances, banners and demands marked the passing of protesters from all over Brazil, who left Praça dos Pioneiros heading towards Estação da Vale.
“The people are in the street; oh Vale, it’s your fault!”
Residents of Governador Valadares, representatives of traditional communities and indigenous peoples were present on the walk to report on how the development model adopted in Brazil affects their existence and relating the numerous violations of rights to which they are submitted with the tailings dam bursting in November last year.
A resident on the outskirts of town, Gilsa Santos remembers the days when her district did not have any water after the tragedy and the fights for this liquid that ensued between her neighbours. Precarious access to drinking water mobilized Gilsa to join the pressure, so that her rights are recovered. “This river is not dead; it lives in me”, she summarizes, expressing her hope that the Doce River comes back to live.
“We want progress in life, not death”, declares the Guarani Wera Kwaray, denouncing how the impacts of the expansionist vision which governs the country’s economy has affected the indigenous peoples’ way of life, even before the dam burst. “We want the public power to play its role but not as an authority bought by resources, money and greed. What we see is the authority which says it defends the environment is being an accomplice in killing human beings, animals and the fish which live in the Doce River”, the Guarani concluded.
Fisherman, José de Fátima Lemos, also comments on how the mining company had tried to co-opt local leaders. “It was us who received an avalanche of minerals. If they think that they are going to silence us with these salaries, they will not!” he exclaims. “We are together for the Doce River’s life. Water is life; a fisherman is life; an indigenous person is life. We will die together without water”.
“We have to transform mourning into a struggle”, considers the Federal University of Juiz de Fora (Governador Valadares campus – UFJF) professor, Reinaldo Queiroz. To the academic, there are many impacts on the water, soil and people’s lives and only fighting impunity will bring the river’s life back.
“We will gain a free homeland!”
The act was closed by reading a political letter by the Doce River Caravan in Praça da Estação da Vale, with reports on the experiences from the routes that they travelled along the Doce River Basin. Reports on the impacts of the environmental crime and notices of development alternatives which assist in the social and environmental recovery of the region and putting forward strengthening more sustainable, supportive and healthy productive and economic activities formed the document.
Eliza Chaves, a Route 2 participant (Upper Doce River – Vale do Piranga and Casca), takes into account that although the caravan had seen and experienced various examples of how the tragedy had affected local traditional communities, the days on the road had aroused a feeling of hope. “We saw family farming workers and organised young people and communities producing homeopathic medicines. In other words, it is not only destruction; it also showed that the people’s strength was pulsating. Together we are more than Vale”, the caravan participant emphasises.
The leading role of women in these experiences of resistance are put forward by the Brazilian Institute of Social and Economic Analyses (Ibase) researcher, Marianna Brito, as a key observation point on Route 1 (which travelled through Mariana and Bento Rodrigues). “They drive family farming in the regions that we went through. The lesson that we learned is that we need to strengthen women’s self-organization, so that another development model is possible and they occupy more policy formulation spaces”, she determines, altering an evaluation of the current political event. “And we need to strengthen the term of the first woman elected democratically in our country”, which was followed by participants in the act in chorus, defending democratic legality in the country: “there is not going to be a coup; there is going to be a fight!”.