Controversy in the Amazon: Brazil Ignores the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights at Potentially Great Cost
In early April, Brazil broke off relations with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) as part of its angry response to criticism of the country’s mammoth Belo Monte dam. The IACHR, the highly respected judicial body of the Organization of American States, is charged with ensuring the maintenance of human rights standards throughout the hemisphere. Upon receiving complaints concerning the dam’s construction, the IACHR requested that Brazil halt construction until Brasília meets existing environmental standards and implements measures to protect the local indigenous population.
The Brazilian government responded sharply to the IACHR’s request, acting as if it was eager to acknowledge itself as the world’s most perfected banana republic. President Dilma Rousseff immediately broke off formal relations with the body by recalling Ruy Casaes, Brazil’s ambassador to the Organization of American States, and halting its annual USD 800,000 contribution to the IACHR. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the criticism “unjustifiable,” and Senator Flexa Ribeiro, the president of the Senate Subcommittee overseeing the dam, argued that “The request is absurd. It even threatens Brazilian sovereignty.» The Brazilian government defended its construction project in a 52-page statement, and work on the facilities continues despite the IACHR’s motion to temporarily freeze the project.
This analysis was prepared by COHA Research Associate Katie Soltis.
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