Belo Monte dam
The Brazilian government is constructing the Belo Monte mega-dam on the Xingu River in the Amazon.
© Terence Turner/Survival 2006
The dam, if completed, will be the third largest in the world and it will flood a large area of land, dry up certain parts of the Xingu river, cause huge devastation to the rainforest and reduce fish stocks upon which Indians in the area, including Kayapó, Arara, Juruna, Araweté, Xikrin, Asurini and Parakanã Indians, depend for their survival.
The livelihoods of thousands of tribal people who depend on the forest and river for food and water could be destroyed.
The influx of immigrants to the area during the construction of the dam threatens to introduce violence to the area and bring diseases to these Indians, putting their lives at risk.
© John Miles/Survival
FUNAI has stated that there may be some uncontacted Indians near the site of the dam. These uncontacted Indians are most at risk as they have very little resistance to outside diseases, which could be fatal for them.
Kayapó Indians and other tribes of the area have been protesting against the dam since it was initially proposed in the 1980s.
In a letter to President Lula, the Kayapó said ‘We don’t want this dam to destroy the ecosystems and the biodiversity that we have taken care of for millenia and which we can still preserve’.
© Amazon Watch
The Indians say that they will oppose the dam at all costs, and that if construction proceeds, the Xingu river will become a river of blood.
Brazil’s Public Prosecutor’s Office, alongside numerous local and international organisations, have called for the license to be suspended, stating that the environmental impact studies were incomplete, and that the Indians and other people who will be affected were not properly consulted.
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If the construction of this dam continues, thousands of people will lose their homes, their livelihoods, and their lives. Indigenous peoples need their land in order to survive and, having lived there for centuries, they have a deep, spiritual link to it.
No amount of compensation or mitigation measures can replace their ancestral land.
Write a letter in support of the Indians. From Survival’s website
About Brazil’s Madeira River dams More about Brazilian Indians News: Kayapó set to fight massive dam project News: Amazon mega dam delayed following protests News: Brazil grants license for controversial Amazon mega-dam Serious Damage, Survival’s report about the impacts of dams on tribal people
From the web
Battle for the Xingu film 
International Rivers Amazon Watch Friends of the Earth, Brazilian Amazon (Portuguese) Movement of Dam Affected People Latin American Bureau article – ‘Indians threaten ’river of blood’’ Brazilian activist Telma Monteiro (Portuguese) Instituto Socioambiental (Portuguese) 
Indigenous peoples’ letter against the Belo Monte dam Letter from Indian leader Megaron Txucarramãe Experts assessment of Belo Monte Xingu Vivo para Sempre – campaign leaflet (Portuguese) Letter to UN (Portuguese) NGOs’ letter to Brazilian President Lula Indians’ letter to NGOs Indians’ letter to Indian leader Aritâna Letter from Indian leader Aritâna to President Lula Belo Monte’s Avatar – Miriam Leitão, O Globo Open letter from Indigenous peoples about Belo Monte (Portuguese) Indians’ Declaration against Belo Monte NGOs’ letter to Pará state government Newspaper article: ‘Belo Monte será ’uma vergonha’?’ (Portuguese) Manifesto contra Belo Monte, agosto 2010 (Portuguese)
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