ESCR-Net members celebrate international day of struggle against dams

The movements of people affected by dams, includding several ESCR-Members, from different Latin-American countries call to organizations, networks, activists and social movements to sum to the mobilizations of the week of March 14th International Day of Struggle in defense of the rivers, water and life.

This date was defined during the First International Encounter of the People Affected by Dams in 1997 and since then, March 14th has been marked by denounces, made by the people affected by dams, of the serious social, environmental, economic and cultural violations caused by the electric sector

The dispute over private appropriation of natural resources, such as water and energy increases at the expense of nature and life. The affected populations are struggling for their survival and rights, denouncing the violations committed by large corporations, also suffering with the criminalization of the affected people's organizations, besides the threats and murder of local leaderships.

The movements consider that, more than ever, they must stay strong and organized to give continuity to the local, national and international struggle. Their commitment is to organize themselves and to struggle against the transnational corporations that appropriate their wealth and the rights of workers, defending the rivers, water and life.

Their struggle is constant in defense of their rights and for the construction for a popular energy model and water administration, which respects and guarantees the rights of the people affected and nature.

The organizations involved in this movement are:

• MAB – Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens, Brazil
• Movimiento Colombiano en defensa de los territorios y afectados por represas - Ríos Vivos, Colombia
• MAPDER – Movimiento Mexicano de Afectados por Presas en Defensa de los Rios , México
• Consejo de Pueblos Wuxhtaj, Guatemala
• Funprocoop, El Salvador
• Movimiento Amplio por la Dignidad y la Justicia (MADJ), Honduras
• MOCICC, Peru
• LA VIDA, Mexico
• Otros Mundos Chiapas, Mexico
• Bios Iguana A.C., Mexico

More information here.