Artisanal fishermen and activists have blocked the Transamazon Highway in Brazil to protest against the planned detonation of the Pedral do Lourenço, aimed at facilitating commodity transport.
On Wednesday morning, a significant protest took place on the Transamazon Highway (BR-230/PA) at kilometer 35, between Marabá and Itupiranga, where dozens of artisanal fishermen, riverside residents, and members of the Movement of People Affected by Dams (MAB) blocked the roadway. This demonstration is directed against the controversial project authorized by judicial authorities for the controlled explosion of the Pedral do Lourenço, which is aimed at easing the transport of agricultural commodities through the Araguaia-Tocantins Waterway.
The protest is part of a series of coordinated actions organized by MAB across several locations including Mocajuba, Altamira, and Miritituba, all occurring during the National Day of Struggles. The planned detonations at the Pedral do Lourenço involve up to three explosive events daily over a three-year period, which would carve out a channel 100 meters wide to allow barge passage carrying soy, minerals, and grains towards the port in Vila do Conde, Barcarena. Such large-scale modifications to the river landscape raise significant environmental and social concerns.
In February, the Federal Public Ministry (MPF) initiated legal recourse against the court decision permitting these detonations, emphasizing ongoing tension between development objectives and the rights of local communities affected by such projects. The blockading of the highway signals growing frustration among local residents regarding governmental decisions that impact their livelihoods and the ecosystem without adequate consultation or consideration of their interests.
