The auction for construction of what would be the world’s third largest hydroelectric project was delayed by a federal judge in Para State on Wednesday.
The decision to temporarily halt the bidding was applauded by director James Cameron but he warned that the fight is not over in what he refer’s to a ‘real life Avatar’ battle in the Amazon.
The judge ruled that more time was required to examine claims that the Amazon Indians living near the site weren’t consulted about the project and that insufficient environmental protection measures were put in place.
From the small Amazon city of Altamira Cameron told The Associated Press by telephone that “It’s a small victory for us, but I don’t expect the battle is over.” He was there to lend support to the project’s opponents.
A spokeswoman for Brazil’s solicitor general’s office, who could not be identified due to the department’s policy said that government lawyers were analysing the decision and would appeal it soon.
The construction of the Belo Monte dam is strongly supported by Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio da Silva who says that it will help Brazil meet its ever growing energy needs. On Wednesday Silva also criticized international pressure to halt the dam project.
“No one worries more about taking care of the Amazon and our Indians than we do,” Silva said Wednesday in a speech in Sao Paulo.
Silva went on to remind the people from developed nations, without mentioning Cameron by name, that they should not lecture Brazil on the environment because those countries spent centuries destroying their own forests.
“We don’t need those who already destroyed (what they had) to come here and tell us what to do,” he said.
In all Cameron spent two days visiting Indian villages near the proposed site of the dam on the Xingu River, which feeds into the Amazon River. During that time he met with roughly 50 leaders of various Indian groups, some of which spent days travelling to be there of a meeting about the dam.
According to Cameron after the judge issued his decision there were cheers on the streets of Altamira the loudest of which were outside his hotel.
“The people of the town and the area are opposed to the dam. There will be few local benefits of this dam,” he said. “It’s personal now, because I know these people who will be affected by this dam.”
Cameron was joined by members of an environmental group: Amazon Watch, a San Francisco based group who work to protect the rainforest and the native people who live there.
Claims have been rejected by Cameron from the project’s backers that the 40,000 people expected to be displaced by the dam is nothing compared to the millions displaced by similar projects in China.
“We expect a little bit more from Brazil, it being a democracy,” Cameron said.
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April 19th, 2010 at 6:36 PM
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