Brazil - dams in the Amazon

Brazil's New Constitution of 1988 was pioneering, a significant step for indigenous peoples' rights. It called for the demarcation of all indigenous lands in Brazil by 1993. As a result thousands of forest peoples were granted the right to their ancestral land which they need for subsistence or spiritual heritage.

In the past Brazil had an average of thirteen demarcations per year. Unfortunately under President Dilma Rousseff's administration, which favours development, large-scale agriculture projects, hydroelectric mega dams, plantations, drilling and mining operations, the number of demarcations has sunk to three a year.

Even with demarcation, ancestral land is not safe.

For many years I have been supporting the communities and indigenous people threatened by the Belo Monte, Madeira and the Tapajós Dam complexes in Brazil. I went on a fact-finding mission to Xingu and the Madeira Rivers in 2012. The dams will impact hundreds of tribes; tens of thousands of people. I published a report on the Huffington Post, titled, 'Belo Monte: An Environmental Crime.' I urge you to read it.

Bianca Jagger on the Xingu River

The Brazilian Government appears to have abandoned its people in the name of profit, energy and 'development.' In the Tapajós basin, in the heart of the Amazon, the government plans to construct up to 29 large dams, following the same destructive model as Belo Monte. One tribe in the region, the Mundukuru, a proud warrior tribe, are continuing to resist the planned Tapajós development. They have decided to auto-demarcate their territory in response to the Rousseff administration's refusal to recognise their land rights.

Munduruku people protesting the Tapajos Dams, credit Aaron Vincent Elkaim

During my 2012 fact finding mission, I met with Jose Carlos Arara, leader of the Arara tribe. He said to me: "The government does not tell us the truth or listen to us. They are not complying with the laws of the land and they are not respecting our rights. Our survival is now in the hands of the government and Norte Energia. The Brazilian government is only thinking about profit and growth. The Belo Monte will take away our autonomy and our right to survive."

I also met with Dr Erwin Kraütler the Bishop of the Xingu. He said to me, "Belo Monte will be an apocalypse for the Amazon. And the Amazon is important for the world climate. It will have consequences not only for Brazil but for the world. I cannot agree -- not only as a bishop, but as a man -- I cannot agree with this decision, which threatens the survival of future generations."

Bishop Erwin Krautler

The Brazilian government has used the legal mechanism of Security Suspension" or "Suspensão de Segurança," to allow them to steamroll its own laws and constitution. Citing the dubious rationale of national security, threatening blackouts and energy crises, the government has been allowed to arbitrarily and repeatedly overturn legal rulings that would have paralyzed Belo Monte and several other dam projects which are currently under construction.

In Brazil on the 9th December 2014 the Proposed Constitutional Amendment 215 (PEC 215) was debated in parliament. This Amendment If approved, would transfer authority to demarcate lands from the Executive to Legislative branch. The Amendment would prohibit ancestral land demarcations of indigenous territories. If this Amendment goes through, the Ruralista - a conservative bloc that represents the country's growing agribusiness sector would have the decision making power. The debate has been postponed until next week. If it passes, this is a deeply troubling development.