Brazil power plant construction paralysed by Indigenous protesters

The protesters are demanding the formal demarcation of their Indigenous land, and the return of burial urns that they said had disappeared during the plant’s construction work.

File image of a Sawre Muybu Munduruku tribe protest (2016) demanding their land demarcation and the cancelling of a hydroelectric plant construction. Source: ANDRESSA ANHOLETE/AFP/Getty Images

Construction of a power plant on the Teles Pires river in Brazil was paralysed by protesting members of the Munduruku tribe, adding to tensions over land conflicts in South America's largest country.

Valdenir Munduruku, one of the movement’s told Reuters: "The works have been completely halted ... We will remain here until our demands are met". 

Construction of the São Manoel hydropower plant, located near the border of Mato Grosso and Pará states, is budgeted at 3 billion reais (over AUD $119 million).

The plant is owned by Portugal's EDP Energias do Brasil, China Three Gorges Corp and Furnas, which is controlled by Brazil's Eletrobras.

The protesters are seeking demarcation of the 178,173- hectare (440,275-acre) Sawré Muybu Indigenous territory where the Munduruku people live.

EDP Brasil and China Three Gorges did not immediately reply to requests for comment, while Eletrobras declined to comment. 

Reuters