Stop the Monster Dam: Support Urgent Action Fund for the Xingu and its People

This project will support indigenous and traditional communities of the Xingu River Basin in the Brazilian Amazon mobilize against the destructive development plans of the Brazilian government to build the Belo Monte “Monster” Dam -the third-largest dam in the world, if built. The dam complex would divert nearly the entire flow of the Xingu River along 100 kilometers and devastate an extensive area of the Amazon rainforest, threatening the survival of indigenous and traditional peoples, and displacing up to 40,000 people. They are ready to mobilize in resistance but need your support to make this happen.

Since the Brazilian government issued the license for the Belo Monte Dam on June 1, there has been growing local, national and international outcry. Bi-monthly protests have taken place in major Brazilian cities and internationally calling on Brazil to defend the Amazon and indigenous rights. But, this has not stopped initial construction of the dam and workers flocking Altamira, the city that will be partially flooded if the dam is built.

Amazon Watch is working with a coalition of Brazilian and international organizations to stop the dam, providing direct support to affected indigenous and traditional communities while serving as a bridge between media, legal, and grassroots representatives in Brazil and their supporters internationally.

Together we've gathered and delivered over 600,000 global petition signatures; we've organized protests; we've filed lawsuits; we've reached out to celebrities, politicians and academics; we've received favorable media coverage; we've promoted clean energy alternatives and, we've even presented a petition to the Inter-American Commission of the OAS and, in response, Brazil was ordered to stop construction, but the Brazilian government ignored the order and is moving ahead with its plans to build this dam.

With more than 80 percent of the Belo Monte dam to be funded by BNDES (the Brazilian National Development Bank), Belo Monte is a critical battle in the fight for the Amazon and for Latin America’s future. Belo Monte is the gateway dam for over 60 proposed dams throughout the Amazon.

Indigenous and traditional communities are not giving up and neither are we. Your support is needed NOW to support the last stand in defense of the Xingu River and its people! Please donate to the Xingu Urgent Action Fund today!