Protests against Brazilian mega-dam project also in Berlin

On this Monday's global day of action to protect the Amazon region, environmentalists and human rights activists are meeting in Berlin to protest against the construction of the power plant and dam-project Belo Monte in Brazil's Amazon region. With many colourful posters, banners and lively music they want to point out that the gigantic project on river Xingu is about to destroy the rain forest and also the livelihoods of indigenous communities living there. The vigils - first in front of the Brandenburg Gate and then outside the embassy of Brazil - were organized by the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP), "Rettet den Regenwald" (Save the Rainforest) and "Survival International". The global day of action was initiated by the Brazilian coalition Movimento Xingu Vivo para Sempre (Xingu Vivo - live forever!). The protests are also against changes to Brazil's forest act that are supposed to include an amnesty for illegal logging.

"Belo Monte would be a door opener for further industrial development of the Amazon region and thus not only the beginning of a tragedy for the people who live there, but also an additional threat towards global climate," the German organizers say. "Rio Xingu will determine the fate of the earth's 'green lung' significantly." The project, for which up to 40.000 people will need to be relocated, also endangers the survival of an indigenous group, that voluntarily chose to live in complete isolation to the outside world, because construction workers and settlers might spread diseases. Also, fishermen and farmers are bound to lose their basis of existence due to changes of the river's water level.

There are groups participating in protests against Belo Monte in more than 20 Brazilian cities. The gigantic project would be the third largest of its kind worldwide. It is mainly supposed to supply electricity for the aluminum industry, but with corresponding friction losses over long distances. Even though hydropower has a reputation of a very clean form of energy, rotting trees and plants beneath the water level are bound to produce harmful greenhouse gases, especially in tropical areas.

To be able to construct Belo Monte, the Brazilian government has ignored numerous requirements regarding environmental protection and human rights, including conditions imposed by the Organization of American States Human Rights Commission. In Germany, companies such as turbine manufacturers Voith Hydro and the Mercedes-Benz Group that has received a major order for 540 construction vehicles are making profit by helping to the destroy of one the last sites of paradisiacal nature.