An initiative of the Movement of Dam-Affected People called the National Meeting of Women Affected by Dams will start on Monday. The goal of the meeting is to re-launch a report which includes violations to the fundamental rights of affected communities, especially women. Women involved in struggles against hydroelectric projects in Patagonia and Mexico, and official authorities from Brazil and the region will participate.

Sonia Mara Maranho, member of the National Coordination of the MAB expressed her solidarity with Mexican community Temacapulin, which together with organizations from the Latin American Network of People Affected by Dams has been occupying the works at El Zapotillo dam.

According to the MAB, the struggle against dams can be included in the struggle against the capitalist model which commodifies electric power, especially for large transnational companies established in the Global South which are taking over natural resources.

In this way, the nuclear crisis suffered by the third economy of the world, Japan, and its repercussions in countries such as Germany in a deep challenge to an energy system that depends on atomic sources, are the framework of the debates to be carried out in the meeting.

“What is taking place in Japan will make large companies want to fill Latin America with dams. We know that Brazil, Peru and Colombia are countries with huge hydrologic potential, and this, for big companies, means an opportunity to generate power. Brazil has over 2.000 dams, if we add 1500 more, it would cause a huge safety problem which would imply a similar situation than that suffered by Japan”, said Sonia.

Political capacity building, analysis of the role of women in the struggle against dams, their testimonies and a discussion on the future geopolitical challenges in terms of energy demands by corporations will be part of the debates to be carried out at the Meeting.

Photo: http://www.yikatuxingu.org.br