Ribeirinhos expulsos por belo monte: negação e reconhecimento de direitos socioambientais

Abstract

This is a case study of how the rights of riverines who were expelled with the construction of Belo Monte hydroelectric dam were denied and how these rights are being recognized in the environmental licensing of the dam. This research was accomplished through bibliographical and documentary analysis. Traditional people and communities are especially exposed to the vulnerabilities of socio-environmental conflicts, since Western law has been (and it is) designed to exclude those who do not fit in the standard and those groups are conceptualized as culturally differentiated. Thus, this groups often suffer invisibilization and denial of rights, reducing the possibilities of maintaining the traditional way of life. I argue that the riverside residents were made invisible on the environmental licensing of Belo Monte hydroelectric and, consequently, their socio-environmental rights were disregarded. So I highlight the invisibilization of riverines caused by the Norte Energia company, added of the inaction or failure of the supervisory organ, IBAMA and of the Judicial Power. Lastly, I argue that through riverines resistance, along with others social actors, as MPF and academic community, they have gained greater visibility and are gaining a recognition of violated rights on the environmental licensing of Belo Monte hydroelectric dam.