10/06/2008
 MAB and Via Campesina occupy the Itá Dam in the South of Brazil

Around 300 rural workers occupied today the Hydroelectric Plant of Itá, in the division between the States of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina. The plant belongs to the Franco-Belgian transnational company Suez-Tractebel. The occupation is part of Via Campesina´s campaign against the energy and economic model of the country and the transnational corporations dominating the natural and energy resources of the country.

Suez-Tractebel is the biggest foreign energy production company in Brazil, with 6 hydroelectric and 7 thermoelectric plants. According to the company itself, in 2007, its net profits reached R$ 1,05 billion, 6,8% more than 2006. MAB continuously denounces that the company achieves these extraordinary profits, to the detriment of the general population that pays abusive energy tariffs. MAB denounces that the absolute objective of all transnational corporations is to appropriate our natural resources and energy.

The construction of the Itá Dam started in the 80s from the state company Eletrosul. In 1998, the company was partially privatized and sold to Gerasul (Tractebel). The following year, Tractebel decided to restructure the company and started by firing 382 workers. Afterwards the company reduced the number of syndicate leaders and intimidated the ones left by relocating them to other departments and reducing their salaries. Until today, the company denies access to its premises to the Syndicate of Electricity Workers of Florianópolis and Region – Sinergia.
The reservoir of the Itá plant inundated approximately 103 km² of land, affecting eleven municipalities. The impacts of the dam have been devastating for the environment and the people of the region whether they were expelled from their lands or not.

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