{"id":115760,"date":"2023-01-25T11:17:49","date_gmt":"2023-01-25T10:17:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.iucn.nl\/?p=115760"},"modified":"2023-06-02T12:16:16","modified_gmt":"2023-06-02T11:16:16","slug":"four-years-later-the-fight-for-justice-continues-in-brumadinho","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.iucn.nl\/en\/story\/four-years-later-the-fight-for-justice-continues-in-brumadinho\/","title":{"rendered":"Four years later: the fight for justice continues in Brumadinho"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u2018It was not an accident. You cannot prevent an accident.\u2019 Today, it has been exactly four years since the Brumadinho dam in Brazil collapsed. The disaster caused a tsunami of toxic mining waste leaving 272 people dead and an ecosystem destroyed. Environmental human rights defender and journalist Carolina de Moura Campos, whose story is part of a documentary supported by IUCN NL,<\/strong> tells us about the fight for justice for the people of Brumadinho: \u2018Mining is the ultimate expression of the global patriarchy.\u2019<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Header photo: \u00a9 The Illusion of Abundance<\/mark><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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De Moura recently toured with human rights lawyer Danilo Chammas through Europe to raise their voice for a strong and effective EU directive on corporate sustainability due diligence. The directive was proposed in February 2022 and obligates major companies to prevent human rights violations and environmental pollution in their supply chain.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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The Illusion of Abundance<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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De Moura is one of the three women activists from Latin America whose story is portrayed in the documentary The Illusion of Abundance, which premiered in Cologne, Germany in November 2022. The powerful film, supported by IUCNL NL, Both Ends and other organisations, shows the human and environmental impact of unsustainable mining, boosted by the high level of consumerism in northern countries.  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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More about the film.<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Ongoing fight for justice for the people of Brumadinho<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Four years have not erased the tragedy from daily life in Brumadinho. Far from: it has become an integrated part of the lives of the inhabitants of the small town in Minas Gerais, a state in south-eastern Brazil. Last year, people relived the disaster when heavy rainfalls flooded the town and the smell of toxic waste entered their houses again.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Four people are still missing. According to the official numbers, 270 people were killed on the 25th<\/sup> of January. But because two victims were pregnant, to the people of Brumadinho this number is not correct, tells De Moura: \u2018We count these babies, who did not even have the right to be born. For us, 272 people have died.\u2019 The chance of more victims is lurking among the survivors. De Moura: \u2018Blood exams have shown that most people in town have a high rate of heavy metals in their blood, above the health limits. This may cause illnesses, while our public healthcare system does not provide adequate treatment.\u2019 Research has also shown that more people suffer from anxiety or depression in the area, compared to the Brazilian average[1]<\/sup><\/a>https:\/\/brazilian.report\/liveblog\/2022\/07\/07\/brumadinho-toxic-metals-study\/<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span>