The United Movement of Victims of Braskem (MUVB), an organization representing the interests of people affected by salt mining in Maceio (Alabama), published a memo expressing its “deep outrage” at the agreement signed between the states of Alagoas and Braskem on Tuesday (11th). The decision, which provides for the payment of R$1.2 billion in compensation in 10 installments a year starting in 2030 and the end of the state government’s lawsuit against the company, was announced as a way to repair “all kinds of state property and non-property damages” and end a dispute over the subsidence of five districts in Maceio caused by irregular mining of rock salt, an ore used in the production of chemical products.
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According to the MUVB, the agreement between state powers and petrochemical companies represents a “waiver of collective rights” and was signed “without public debate, transparency and without respect for those who bear the consequences of socio-environmental crimes every day.”
The group also said in its text that Alagoas state would “abandon the struggle for justice for victims” by replicating the same “exclusive” model adopted by Maceio City Hall in previous negotiations.
“At the time, the mayor was criticized for not including those affected in the negotiations. Now it appears the state never agreed to exclusion; it just wants equal treatment,” the text reads. “You see the little dot in your brother’s eye, but you don’t realize that there is a plank in your own eye.”
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The movement also compares the amount announced with the previously estimated compensation of around 30 billion reais, asking: “How can losses of this magnitude suddenly be reduced to this figure? What calculations justify such a waiver?”
When asked about the protest letter signed by MUVB, Mr. Braskem did not wish to take a position.
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The negotiations were considered essential to enable the sale of the petrochemical company to management company IG4 Capital. Industry sources said uncertainty surrounding the environmental disaster was the main obstacle to moving the business forward.
Braskem reported that of the R$18.1 billion already allocated for disaster-related activities, R$13.6 billion had been disbursed by the third quarter of 2025. Felipe Jens, the company’s finance director, said negotiations with the state would not interfere with negotiations for the company’s sale between the controlling company Novonor (formerly Odebrecht) and its creditor banks.
“We have not taken part in these negotiations and have not attended any meetings where this topic was discussed. This is a matter solely within Novonol’s jurisdiction,” he clarified.
Despite the agreement, residents and local leaders warn that other areas of the capital of Alagoas state continue to subside.
In October, the Alagoas State Public Defender’s Office and the MUVB filed a public civil lawsuit seeking an injunction and immediate eviction of the communities of Flexay de Cima and de Baixo, which are close to areas already evacuated. The request includes the relocation of more than 3,000 homes and R$1.7 billion in compensation for psychological and material damage.
The measure is based on a technical report prepared by Brazilian and German researchers, which confirms soil displacement of more than 10 millimeters per year, twice the safety limit adopted by civil defense. “This techno-scientific discovery is decisive. It clearly links the geological phenomena of Flexais with the mining activities of Braskem,” the document said.
*Intern under the guidance of Alfredo Mergulyan
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