abusesaffiliationarrow-downarrow-leftarrow-rightarrow-upattack-typeburgerchevron-downchevron-leftchevron-rightchevron-upClock iconclosedeletedevelopment-povertydiscriminationdollardownloademailenvironmentexternal-linkfacebookfiltergenderglobegroupshealthC4067174-3DD9-4B9E-AD64-284FDAAE6338@1xinformation-outlineinformationinstagraminvestment-trade-globalisationissueslabourlanguagesShapeCombined Shapeline, chart, up, arrow, graphLinkedInlocationmap-pinminusnewsorganisationotheroverviewpluspreviewArtboard 185profilerefreshIconnewssearchsecurityPathStock downStock steadyStock uptagticktooltiptwitteruniversalityweb
Story

5 Dec 2017

Brazil: Suape Port Complex is investigated for militia training, forced eviction & damage to homes

The Governador Eraldo Gueiros-Suape Industrial Port Complex is a 13,500-hectare mega-project whose main partner is the government of Pernambuco and is home to more than 100 national and international companies (to see which companies are part of the complex, click here). The Suape Forum, a group of human rights and academic organizations that support affected communities, Conectas Human Rights, Both Ends and other civil society groups have filed complaints at the national level, such as those presented before the Federal Prosecutor’s Office, and also at the international arena (UN and OECD). They denounced the various violations of human rights that have occurred since the beginning of its construction in 1978. The port was built on lands of traditional communities, such as fishermen and quilombos (runaway slaves), who had lived in the region for years. Suape Forum claims that about 25,000 people lived in these lands and many were evicted, often forced and with violence. Repórter Brasil says below: "…Today, there are fewer than 7,000 and they are all treated like trespassers inside the traditional territory...”. The Human Rights and Business Group of the São Paulo Law School of the Getulio Vargas Foundation will launch a report on Suape and human rights violations in December 2017. During all these years, various civil society groups have denounced the serious socio-environmental and human rights violations related to the construction and operation of Suape such as militia training, forced eviction,  damage to homes, restrictions on land use, threats to communities and to their culture and livelyhood. In addition, “the Pernambuco State Environment Agency, responsible for environmental licensing, issued 26 notices of infraction against the Suape Complex between 2010 and 2014 for environmental irregularities – 17 were fines. Between 2008 and 2010, the federal environmental watchdog Ibama applied fines totaling nearly R$2 million…” (Repórter Brasil). See below the serious report by Repórter Brasil which includes comments from Suape, Suape Energia, Rota do Atlântico Concessionaire, Liserve, Diagonal, and Van Oord.

To read this story in Portuguese, click here.

To read an older story about the case when the Centre invited Suape to respond, please, read here.