COURTS SUSPEND CLOSING OF THE GATES
OF SERRA DA MESA POWER PLANT
Federal Judge Marcelo Dolzany da Costa of the 1st Court of the state
of Tocantins issued a preliminary order yesterday (September 30)
suspending the closing of the gates to fill up the reservoir of the
Serra da Mesa Power Plant in the state of Goias. In his ruling, Dolzany
questioned the absence of an environmental license for the plant. The
preliminary order was issued in reply to a writ of prevention filed by
state attorneys Mario Lucio Freitas, of Tocantins, and Rosangela Posahl
Batista, of Goias, and also by public prosecutor Jose Maria da Silva
Junior, who detected irregularities in the Environmental Impact Report
which prevent any attempt to control negative impacts caused by the
power plant. Another strong irregularity was denounced by Cimi and is
related to the absence of an authorization from the National Congress,
since the plant covers 10% of the Ava-Canoeiro indigenous land and will
cause impacts in all the region of the states of Goias and Tocantins.
The writ of prevention filed by the state attorneys preceded a
Public Civil Action that will be brought against Furnas Centrais
Eletricas, the state enterprise responsible for the consortium which is
building the plant. Backed by the preliminary order which suspended the
filling of the reservoir, Cimi and other entities which support
indigenous rights will now concentrate their efforts in this Action,
through which Furnas will be forced to settle all the irregularities
which were detected. They will also demand that the consortium wait for
the decision of the National Congress on the matter before continuing to
build the plant. Cimi believes that no one should be allowed to
disregard the Constitution, as this can be a very strong precedent. "We
will take advantage of this moment to resume discussions on specific
laws for the use of water resources in indigenous lands", said Saulo
Feitosa, Cimi's executive secretary. An important instrument in this
connection is the Statute of Indigenous Societies, which has been
discussed at the National Congress for five years but has not been
passed so far.
INDIGENOUS CANDIDATES TAKE PART IN ELECTIONS IN BRAZIL
Municipal elections will be held throughout Brazil, except in the
Federal District, this Thursday, October 3. The participation of 82
indigenous candidates has been registered, five of whom are running for
mayor, four for vice-mayor, and 73 for alderman in different parts of
the country. This participation resulted from the need felt by
indigenous peoples to occupy political spaces and fight the
discrimination imposed by the non-indigenous society.
Most of these indigenous candidates are concentrated in the state of
Mato Grosso do Sul, where 20 Indians from the Guarani-Kaiowa, Nandeva,
and Terena peoples are running for aldermen in seven municipalities. In
terms of number of candidates aspiring to hold posts in the executive
branch, the state of Minas Gerais, located in the southeast region of
the country, ranks first, with three Indians running for mayor and three
for vice-mayor. It is the state where 50% of the municipality of Sao
Joao das Missoes is covered by the indigenous area of the Xacriaba
people. The hope of electing an indigenous candidate is strongest in the
state of Amapa, where Indian Galibi Marworno, Joao Neves dos Santos, is
running for mayor under the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB) in the
municipality of Oiapoque, located in the extreme north of the country.
Joao Neves is being supported by the governor of Amapa, Joao Capiberibe
(PSB).
Brasilia, 1 October 1996
Indianist Missionary Council - Cimi