BRAZILIAN GOVERNMENT AGENCY REJECTS
COTINGO DAM PLAN
On January 18, 1995, the National Department of Waters and
Electrical Energy (DNAEE) told the Electric Company of Roraima
state in an official comunication that it will only approve the
concession for building a dam on the Cotingo River following
authorization by the national Congress. This was based on
DNAEE's recognition that the hydroelectric dam would impact the
lands of Indigenous peoples.
This action frustrates the Roraima state government's intentions
to ignore the existence of the Raposa Serra do Sol Indian Area, and to
try to circumvent the constitutional requirement that hydroelectric
projects affecting Indian areas be approved by Congress, following
consultation with affected Indian communities.
Following a meeting with the Indigenous Council of Roraima and
the Pro-Indian Commission of Sao Paulo on January 23, 1995,
DNAEE also decided to send a delegation to Raposa Serra do Sol to
inspect the actions of the Roraima State Electric Company (CER).
According to the DNAEE, the CER has no authorization to carrying
out studies which would require the utilization of machinery which
Indians say the company has brought onto their land.
On the legal front, on February 1, the Brazilian Attorney-
General's office in Roraima brought a civil action against the CER
and the Roraima state government. The action asks for a halt to
CER's operations within the Indian area, as well as the removal of a
military police encampment which was set up within the reserve.
The suit also asks that the Indigenous area be declared off-limits to
any hydro project, until authorization is obtained by the national
Congress.
On February 1, the Indigenous Council of Roraima and the Pro-
Indian Commission of Sao Paulo also met with the Minister of
Environment and Water Resources, Gustavo Krausse, to request the
intervention of Brazil's environmental agency, IBAMA, in the
environmental licensing process for the Cotingo Dam.
Minister Krausse expressed his opinion that the project would
require Congressional authorization, and he promised his ministry
would follow the environmental licensing process.
For more information:
Glenn Switkes, International Rivers Network, Berkeley California,
USA
tel: (510) 848-1155 or fax: (510) 848-1008
email: glenirn@igc.apc.org
or: Comissao Pro-Indio de Sao Paulo, Brasil
tel/fax: (+55-11) 864-1180 or +(55-11) 871-4612