International Manifesto in Defense of the Amazon and against the construction of hydroelectric Belo Monte
We, organizations that are part of Via Campesina International, supporters and friends of the Via, which are united in the " World Conference of the Peoples on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth", which is being held in Bolivia, support the struggle against the hydroelectric plant of Belo Monte in Brazil. Given this we publicly manifest, in an international character, in defense of the Amazon and in opposition to construction of the Belo Monte Dam Brazil, which has been auctioned by the Brazilian Government this week:
We believe that there is an ongoing global offensive by large corporations to take ownership of strategic natural resources in all countries, such as water, energy, land, biodiversity and minerals, through large development projects. These large projects of interests to the transnational corporations are against the interests of the peoples, because they reflect the loss of energy and food sovereignty. Because of this, we have assumed an international commitment to denounce and to fight against this logic that has as its sole objective the pursuit of profit.
The Amazon region is one of the richest regions in the world with enormous diversity, the world’s largest reserves of water, minerals, biodiversity, land, oil, and gas, among others. By having this diversity of natural wealth and by being one of the last areas with large quantities of natural bases, the Amazon is central to all and any project of the transnational corporations.
In the case of hydroelectrics, these have served for being used to feed the electrointensive export industry (of aluminum, cellulose, iron, etc.), considered one of the most polluting in the world.
Regarding the project of construction of the Belo Monte hydroelectric, in the Amazon Region, our position is in opposition and we hope that this plan is definitively canceled. If this work is built it will deliver part of the Amazon to transnational control and at the same time cause one of the largest social and environmental disasters
We thus solicit the responsible authorities to review the procedure to try to build this dam, and establish a comprehensive discussion of this issue and the energy issue involving broad sectors of society.
In conclusion, we urge to all the people and the movements and organizations to continue their struggles, and show solidarity in defense of the Amazon and against hydroelectric Belo Monte.
Globalize the struggle, globalize hope.
La Via Campesina, Present in Cochabamba – 28 countries, 120 persons of 57 organizations
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For more information on Belo Monte:
Belo Monte: 12 questions without answers
140 international organizations denounce Belo Monte
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