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March 14th International Day of Struggle of the people affected by dams, in defense of the rivers, water and life

Berta Caceres stands at the Gualcarque River in the Rio Blanco region of western Honduras where she, COPINH (the Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras) and the people of Rio Blanco have maintained a two year struggle to halt construction on the Agua Zarca Hydroelectric project, that poses grave threats to local environment, river and indigenous Lenca people from the region.

The international day that remarks the struggle of the people affected by dams, celebrated for more than two decades happens in a very sad context, just after another dam collapse, which killed more than three hundred people in Brumadinho (MG ). The mining corporation Vale is responsible for this crime, which has also affected thousands of people who live nearby the Paraopeba river bed.

March 14th is the date of that marks the struggle of the people affected all over the country. It’s a day of struggle, in defense of life and the rights and in demand for fair repair for all families victims of crimes such as the ones committed by Vale and Samarco.

With actions in several Brazilian states and also in other countries as those motivated by the Movement of People Affected by Dams in Latin America – MAR – , the people affected seek to denounce impunity of the criminal corporations and demand solutions for the problems in their countries.

This is a date that the people affected by dams also fight in defense of water and rivers. Water Basins, as of the Doce and Paraopeba river are completely contaminated and the ecosystem is destroyed due to corporations activities that puts profit before life.

On this day of struggle, MAB – the Movement of People Affected by Dams seeks to denounce nationally and internationally Vale’s crime in Brumadinho and in Mariana. We demand security in areas affected by dams that are seriously threatened by possible dam collapse in order to avoid such tragedy. MAB demands the elaboration of an adequate and efficient Security Plan for Dams with the participation of the people affected.

Enough of impunity

This March 14th completes one year of the murder of the city councilor from Rio de Janeiro and human rights activist, Marielle Franco. Marielle was cowardly murdered and to this day Brazilian society wants to know: “who ordered Marielle’s killing?” Unfortunately, this revolting scenario also extends to other people’s fighters as the Honduran indigenous community leader Berta Cárceres, who fought against the construction of a dam in indigenous territory and was murdered for her leadership in defense of the affected communities and Nilce de Souza Magalhães, our Nicinha, brutally murdered in Rondônia, in the Jirau hydroelectric region.

Our fight is defense of the right to live

“Water for life, not for death!”

Nossa jornada de luta é pelo direito à vida.

Aguas para vida, não para a morte.

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