Headlines of Brumadinho Legacy Project – June/2022

The month of June has been a busy one in terms of happenings concerning two of Brazil’s worst tragedies as a result of irresponsible mining activities

The collapse of the dams of Mina do Fundão in Mariana, and Mina Córrego Feijão in Brumadinho were topics brought out by an article written by Alexandra Andrade, President of Avabrum (Association of Families of Victims and Affected by the Tragedy of the Breach of the Mina Córrego Feijão Brumadinho Dam); geographer, water resources management  specialist, and environmental technician, entitled The Environment and the Tragedies in the Mining Industry – The value of life cannot be underestimated to the benefit of economic results. The text that was published in one of Brazil’s most important newspapers, Folha de São Paulo, was written to emphasize that,  on the 50th anniversary of the first United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, it is necessary to echo an alert about the consequences of the the way authorities deal with mining in a country whose soil is full of mineral resources, coveted by industries around the world.

Another headline made by Avabrum was published by the Broadcast agency, an important source of news for companies, investors and financial market players. The exclusive piece of news was written by Aline Bronzati, an international correspondent of Agência Estado, in New York. She points out the summons made by relatives of victims of the tragedy caused by the collapse of Vale’s dam in Brumadinho (MG), asking the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which regulates the US capital markets, access to the recent investigation opened against the mining company. In a parallel action, the group, represented by Avabrum, made the same move in Brazil, asking the Securities and Exchange Commission (CVM) for information on administrative proceedings related to the Brazilian company.

As far as the judiciary is concerned, on June 6th the national press echoed the decision of the Federal Supreme Court (STF) that recognized the competence of the State Justice of Minas Gerais to process and judge the complaint of the Minas Gerais Public Ministry (MPMG)  about the rupture of the Minas Córrego do Feijão dam, in January 2019. The case has been running in the Federal Court since October last year, at the request of the former president of Vale, Fábio Schvartsman, who is a defendant in the case. 

On the same day as the STF’s decision, Avabrum had another event to alleviate some of its pain in the fight for justice and memory concerning the tragedy. The Minas Gerais fire brigade active in the local searches identified another victim buried in the mud: Olímpio Gomes, who was an outsourced employee of the mining company. Four victims remain to be identified in the wreckage of the tragedy: Maria de Lurdes da Costa Bueno, Nathália de Oliveira Porto Araújo, Tiago Tadeu Mendes da Silva e Cristiane Antunes.

Local news on empowerment

The Brumadinho Legacy project* started the series of workshops that will be held in the city, as part of training actions for local development. In all, 18 scholarship students met in Brumadinho on the morning of Saturday, the 18th, to start the course on community communication provided by Sabic (Association of Friends of Community Libraries). Lasting eight months, the expectation is that students will gather knowledge and autonomy for independent production, and thus be able to continue the project of spokesperson for the causes and events that affect the daily life of the community.

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*Project carried out with resources allocated by the Management Committee for Collective Moral Damage paid to title of social indemnity for the rupture of the dam in Brumadinho, on 01/25/2019, that claimed 272 lives.

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#avabrum, #brumadinholegacy, #environment, #worlddayfortheenvironment