The rural areas of Brazil are full of small and large conflicts surrounding land uses and possession. The state of Bahia is quite famous for the land disputes involving the Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST) and farm owners. However, these conflicts often involve private companies and other social groups. It was the case of a dispute between residents of two quilombos in the city of Piatã, in the countryside of Bahia and a mining company. The case came to the headlines after the communities obtained a court injunction in the United Kingdom to prevent British mining companies from continuing with what the communities of Bocaina and Mocó called intimidation.
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Other Accusations
The iron ore companies Brazil Iron Limited (BIL) and Brazil Iron Trading Limited (BITL), registered in the European country, are also accused of causing disruption due to pollution generated by dust from the mine, noise from machinery and explosions. Residents say they suffer structural, physical, and psychological damage.
Intimidation
The dwellers of the quilombos say they were approached by employees of the Brazilian subsidiary of the British companies after they began to challenge the impacts of the operations in court. The objective would be to force them to drop the lawsuits.
Court Decision
The British court ordered mining companies to prevent their employees from having contact with quilombolas. The injunction is valid until the next hearing of the case, which should take place in mid-2024.
Company’s Version
Brazil Iron Mineração, a subsidiary in Brazil, denies the accusations and accuses the law firm leading the action in London of bad faith. In Brazil, the company is also the target of a Public Civil Action. Since November, the mining company’s activities have been paralyzed in the region under suspicion of irregularities.
Source: Folha de São Paulo
