This Thursday, May 24th, the Belgian transnational Tractebel (a subsidiary of the French conglomerate Suez S.A.)will be throwing a big party to commemorate the inauguration of Cana Brava dam, on the Tocantins river, in the state of Goiás, central-western region of Brazil. Invited are authorities and executives of the company, who chartered an airplane to bring European journalists to cover the event, and to visit Itá dam, in southern Brazil, also property of Tractebel. The sites to be visited were chosen so that the company could present the idea that the populations expelled from their homes and lands by the dams are in a "marvelous" situation. Tractebel is very interested in projecting a positive image in Europe, especially in Belgium and France, because the company has been rocked by corruption allegations and lawsuits in recent months. In Brazil, the Movement of Dam-Affected People sent representatives to Europe to denounce Tractebel's actions. In November, the movement occupied Tractebel's offices in Rio de Janeiro, as part of a mobilization in various regions of Brazil. According to information MAB has obtained from journalists travelling with the delegation, there are no plans to meet with those impacted by the projects, apart from meetings carefully arranged by Tractebel, which will be present at all times in these sessions. Between hotels and official actitivies, the journalists will travel only by airplane and helicopters, preventing them from any contact with the population. To be able to fulfill their journalistic duties, some journalists have quietly entered into contact with MAB to be able to register the dam-affected people's side of the story. At Cana Brava dam, most of the dam-affected people were not recognized as such by Tractebel, and the compensation awarded by the company did not exceed 5,000 Brazilian reais (less than US$2,000), with some receiving as little as US$15, an amount which would have to serve to buy a new piece of land, build a house, and replant crops. The people of the region are running out of hope, fishermen and artisanal miners who lived from the resources of the river have been totally overlooked by the company, and many families have already migrated to slums in neighboring cities. According to their reports, Tractebel was able to promote a program to integrate farmers into city life, and plans to grant some families houses in the workers' housing site at Serra da Mesa dam, just upstream from Cana Brava. Many of the dam-affected people are hungry, and are facing problems caused by the environmental problemas the dam has caused, and by the lack of clean drinking water. Agricultural production in the region is stagnating, since those who live in the communities affected by the dam did not receive any credits or subsidies to be able to re-plant. At Itá dam, on the border between Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina states, the dam-affected communities have been organized for more than 20 years, fighting fiercely for the guarantee of their rights. Following many marches, encampments, vigils, and sit-ins at the dam site and company offices, they were able to achieve resettlements for most families, even though these continue to have many problems. Still, most of the affected families never received compensation, and many are living on the outskirts of nearby cities. The economic situation in the region of Itá is critical, and the fact that the dam caused an outward migration from the region seriously impacted local businesses. Agricultural production greatly declined, lowering the capacity of towns and the states to provide assistance to the populations, particularly those who remained living near the shore of the reservoir, who lack health care, adequate transportation, education... Brazilian legislation requires dam-builders to maintain a "reserve" of 100 meters around the diameter of reservoirs, but Tractebel only provided compensation for the loss of a 30 meter swath, and farmers are restricted by environmental authorities from using the rest of this protected area. Each family received less than US$80 in agricultural credits, and there are still more than 200 outstanding cases where families are pressing for compensation, some of them even recognized by Tractebel as valid. Yet, the company has yet failed to provide compensation in these cases. With pressure from MAB, the Inter-American Development Bank, one of the agencies financing Cana Brava dam sent a consultant to review the situation of the dam-affected people. He confirmed many of the problems that MAB had presented, but these continue to remain unresolved, because the IDB and Tractebel have not taken effective action. According to Hélio Mecca, member of MAB's national coordination, himself affected by Itá dam, the practice of bringing journalists to Brazil and to carefully plan what the journalists will see and photograph is part of the strategy that Tractebel has employed since it purchased Brazilian state energy companies. Mecca says that the co-optation of authorities, principally mayors of the towns affected by the dams has been commonplace, as well as using the power of their influence with the media, the judicial system, governments, and the police. Tractebel has built new police headquarters and jails, and built courts in the region of Cana Brava, even carrying out reforms of church facilities to try and win over priests and pastors. Parties and shows with popular artists paid for by Tractebel have been used to hide the reality and to attempt to hide the economic, social, and environmental problems caused by the dam. Today, May 22, the populations affected by Cana Brava began a mobilization in front of the Esmeraldas Palace of the government of the state of Goiás in Goiânia with the objective of trying to obtain an audience with the state governor. 350 dam-affected people, joined by 500 farmers from other rural movements which are part of the Via Campesina do Brasil will be camped out in the capital for one week in protest. Tomorrow (May 23), more dam-affected people will join the encampment to discuss what will be the next steps the dam-affected people will take. _____________________________ Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens - MAB www.mabnacional.org.br Bacia do Rio Uruguai mab@mabnacional.org.br fone: (54)522-1857 Secretaria Nacional mnab@terra.com.br fone: (11)3242-1328 *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=* Glenn Switkes, Director Latin America Campaigns International Rivers Network 1847 Berkeley Way Berkeley, CA 94703-1576 USA tel: +1.510.848.1155 fax: +1.510.848.1008 http://www.irn.org in Brasil: tel/fax/messages: +55.11.3666.5853 email: glenns@superig.com.br