Justice Lula

Despite firm opposition against the project, the Government has managed up to now move forward. The Executive pressured environmentalist bodies to accelerate the granting of license and strove to ensure at least two business consortiums in the dispute. When companies Odebrecht and Camargo Correa withdrew occur, President Lula said that, if necessary, the State would build it. And to some extent is what has happened: the two consortia to contest count with the participation of subsidiaries of the State Eletrobras with a minimum of 50% of participation. It should be noted, that the majority of affected communities are indigenous. And this time, indigenous peoples have opted for resistance.

Encouraged by the support of celebrities and international attention given to the case, the leaders of thirteen tribes took one decision: make noise. They prepare the invasion of the area that will occupy the dam, in Volta Grande. They say that at least 140 indigenous mobilised is, and could cause a headache for the Government, which would be in the uncomfortable position of having to evict them when the works start. Referenced in addition, indigenous leaders argue that it has acted against the law to approve the project, since the 1988 Constitution guarantees the protection of indigenous peoples. So far, Justice has relied on the idea that there is no imminent danger for the indigenous community because the tender does not imply the immediate construction of the dam. But mobilization can have the effect of placing this issue on the agenda of the election debate, which is already agitated before the October elections. Iuri Charles Paulinho is not very optimistic about the results of the election.

If big surprises are not produced, the Presidency will be the candidate of the workers party’s Lula, Dilma Rousseff, either for the social democratic Jose Serra. Lula followed the model of Cardoso, and Dilma will continue it, he says the activist. It should not be forgotten that the current President Lula defended hydropower, with the argument that is the cheapest and is less polluting than thermal power stations. The President also said that some of the criticisms of the project are inadmissible because they fail to consider the changes that have been made to the text, although not noted what. Noted also the President, that 80% of Brazilian energy is extracted from hydroelectric power plants, and Lula has already said that the country needs more prey.