arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)

Braziliaanse landloze boeren bezetten vorige week het kantoor van Tractebel in Rio de Janeiro. De Belgische multinational bouwt al vele jaren stuwdammen voor hydrocentrales op de grote rivieren van Brazilië. Grote stukken land komen daardoor onder water te staan. De grootgrondbezitters worden door Tractebel vergoed, de landarbeiders, vissers en goudzoekers worden aan hun lot overgelaten. Zij eisen ook een compensatie.

Uit protest heeft de MAB (de organisatie van landlozen die getroffen worden door de bouw van de stuwmeren) dinsdag en woensdag vorige week de kantoren van Tractebel bezet.
Samen met de bezoekers van MST (Braziliaanse organisatie van landloze boeren, partner van 11.11.11, die nauw samenwerkt met de MAB) wil 11.11.11 zijn steun aan de bezetting betuigen. Daarom brengen we deze namiddag met vlag en spandoek een bezoek aan het hoofdkantoor van Tractebel in Brussel.

Op dit ogenblik wordt onderhandeld met Tractebel over een onderhoud met de directie. Buiten aan de poort zal in ieder geval het protest weerklinken.
De pers wordt uitgenodigd om ter plaatse te vernemen wat Tractebel ons te zeggen heeft en haar licht op te steken bij de betogers.

Hier is het volledige persbericht van de actie in Brazilie in het engels:

For immediate release:
October 30, 2001

Dam-Affected People Occupy Headquarters of Belgian Multinational Tractebel in Rio de Janeiro

About 350 men, women, and children from various regions of Brazil, have taken over the headquarters of the Belgian transnational Tractebel in Rio de Janeiro. Tractebel is the owner of the utility Gerasul, and is constructing
various dams in Brazil, including It  (Rio Grande do Sul/Santa Catarina states) and Cana Brava, on the Tocantins River, central-western region.

The takeover is part of a National Mobilization by the Brazilian Movement of Dam-Affected People (MAB), with various dams occupied and public demonstrations taking place in different regions. MAB charges that Tractebel
has failed to address outstanding resettlement and compensation issues at It  (200 affected families still with problems unresolved), despite the fact that the dam is now fully operational.

At Cana Brava, a dam financed by the Inter-American Development Bank, the situation is even more serious, with hundreds of families still not receiving compensation, and most of the compensation already proscribed being of extremely low values which will not permit the rehabilitation of displaced families. In addition, most of the sharecroppers, renters, fishermen, and artisanal gold miners who worked along the river are being ignored by the company, as well as many families who will be isolated by the formation of the reservoir. According to national coordinator H‚lio Mecca of MAB, "Tractebel has refused to consider the needs of populations who will lose everything when the floodgates on Cana Brava are closed".

The dam-affected are hoping to convince Tractebel to open negotiations. Tomorrow, communities affected by the Corumb  IV dam (Goi s state) will be in Bras¡lia to deliver their complaints to the federal government. Protests took place yesterday at Manso dam (Mato Grosso) and Fuma‡a dam (Minas Gerais), among others. The dam-affected suspended their occupation of the headquarters of state electric company Furnas, following the company's agreeing to review resettlement and compensation measures at Manso and at Serra da Mesa dam.

MAB is working to raise a discussion regarding the construction of a different energy model for the country, the product of a participatory debate, which will prioritize energy alternatives and halt the construction of large dams, which cause incalculable environmental and social damages.

For more information: MAB National Secretariat +55.11.232.1328