The People’s Summit begins at Barkeata, with the participation of indigenous peoples, riverside residents and even Palestinians. See photos

The boat trip started at 8am and ended around noon. The official opening of the People’s Summit will take place this afternoon at the Federal University of Pará (UFPA) and will last until the 16th. In it, those without a voice crystallize their desire to have their voices heard.

— We raised the problems experienced in the region since 2000 with the so-called Arco Norte project to facilitate soybean flows. It’s been 25 years since we lost one of the city’s most beautiful beaches. This is done without consulting the public. (Companies) are also not being managed properly, and this is spreading throughout the Tapajos Basin, said Bibi Borari, a member of the Borari tribe who lives in Alter de Champs (Pennsylvania) on the right bank of the Tapajos River.

She complains that there is an overlap of waterways, hydropower plants, BRs and ports, and that it is the indigenous people who are affected. Mining companies were also the subject of complaints.

— We’re up against a potash mining company here on our territory. Currently, there are no laws that allow mining on indigenous lands. There are also agribusinesses that have expanded along BR-163 to transport grain, reported Professor William Mura, Indigenous People of Amazonas and Rondônia.

Mines and railways meet targets

They are currently fighting fiercely against the establishment of mining companies on their territory, demanding the demarcation and protection of their land, and the guarantee of their constitutional rights.

For safety reasons, ships kept a safe distance and sailed without getting close to each other. The Brazilian Navy pursued the demonstration through the Port Authority, but the demonstration ended without incident.

Channels and dredging, ferrogran, agroecology, land delimitation, European soy regulations. Everything was on the table on a sunny morning, with the brightest light shining from the colors printed on the banners on board the ship, with slogans like “Save the Amazon,” “Soy passes, destruction remains,” and “Without climate change and educational justice, there will be no COP to save the planet.” This is an example of the lifelong unity of indigenous peoples, river dwellers, caboclo and quilombola.

From Rio de Janeiro, Isabel Miranda, national director of the Movement for Popular Sovereignty in Mining, brought important issues to the state of Pará.

— We own the world’s largest open-pit mining company, which directly impacts indigenous peoples, quilombolas, riverine peoples, and traditional peoples through soil, air, and water pollution. And for us, there is no climate discussion if we don’t include these people.

The transportation infrastructure that supports the lives of many people along the river was also a target of Balkita’s criticism.

— Historically, the transportation corridor that began in 1969 during the occupation of the Amazon has led to socio-environmental conflicts, as this model does not respect the lives of traditional peoples. Brent Millican of GT Infra and Justiça Socioambiental said that Panara almost died when BR-163 (Cuiabá-Santarém) was built, but the line passed through indigenous territory without consultation.

Presence of Palestinian protesters

Some of the participants in Barqueata joined those who protested on Tuesday night at the entrance to the Blue Zone, the COP30 area where negotiations between countries take place. They are calling for “taxing the richest to fund climate justice,” one protester explained.

—The People’s Summit is independent of COP 30 and demonstrates the power of the people’s voice at the negotiating table. To this end, we will deliver a letter to the COP30 President containing the demands decided at the plenary session – added Pedro Charbel, Coordinator of the Chega de Soja Alliance and activist of the Movement of Homeless Workers (MTST).

The People’s Summit is also attended by representatives of the Movement of People Affected by Dams (MAB), such as Vivian Vasconcelos from Santarem (Pennsylvania). She says no to the Ferrogran-Tapajos railway.

— Due to the presence of people along the river, we were away from home for almost a week to get to the COP30 table.

Fray João Paulo from the Francisco Immigration Network (JPIC) came from São Paulo to say no to deforestation. And even Palestinian groups seeking peace in the Gaza Strip, where environmental destruction is catastrophic, have joined the workers’ movement without rights.

-Remembering the Israeli occupation, restrictions on sovereignty and lack of resources, Palestinian protesters listed their demands.

More than 2,500 indigenous people live in Belem

Brazil’s Indigenous Council (Apib) estimates that more than 2,500 indigenous and other leaders in the city are demanding greater representation in negotiations and the inclusion of land demarcation in climate policy.

More than 300 people, including Kayapo, Panara, Tupinamba, Arapiun, Munduruku, Borari, Mula, representatives of other ethnic groups from the Cerrado and the Amazon, family farmers, quilombolas, and popular messengers, arrived in Belém on a boat called the Caravan of Response, which departed from Baixo Tapajós, a region surrounded by ports and waterways.

There there was a kalimbo atmosphere with the group Os Encandados and people of different origins dancing together holding flags.

The “crowd” was caused by Alianza Chega de Soja, a group that brings together more than 40 organizations and people in the Amazon and Cerrado. The organizations include Amazon Watch, GT Infrastructure, Social and Environmental Justice, Kabu Institute, Raoni Institute, Movimento Tapajos Vivo, and Movimento das Muljeres Munduruku.