by MARIANA STARLING
Flooded houses, plastic bottles and trash all around, dead animals, families without homes and flooded agricultural lands: it would seem that this is the scene of some natural tragedy, such as that which recently happened in Chile.
But it is not. It is the scene unfolding in Laranjal, a municipality in the Zona da Mata (Forest Zone) of Minas Gerais, as a result of the implantation of the Barra da Braúna dam project, now under the auspices of a Canadian company called Brookfield Renewable Energy.
The Barra da Braúna dam is just one more case of how dams are implanted in Brazil with no democratic processes nor respect for environmental laws.
Contrary to law, there were no public forums to inform and solicit opinions from those who live in the region. Environment organs conceded licensing without the knowledge of the majority of families.
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