From Tucuruí to Belo Monte: the history really progresses?

Abstract

The essay reflects on the construction of the Tucuruí Hydroelectric Power Plant, in the Tocantins River, Brazil, and compares it to the Belo Monte plant, currently being raised on the Xingu River. The first was planned and built during the military dictatorship in Brazil (1964-1985) and the second, during a period considered democratic. The author criticizes the lack of transparency and the evidences of corruption in the history of Tucuruí, problems that seem to rise again with Belo Monte, thirty years later. He concludes that the federal government, responsible for both works, continues to disregard the adverse effects of large infrastructure projects in the Amazon.

Keywords

• Tucuruí
• Tocantins River
• Belo Monte
• Xingu River
• Hydroelectric dams
• Electric power