Project that releases power transmission line on indigenous land is approved by the Senate

The Senate approved this Wednesday (6th) a bill that makes room for the installation of electricity transmission lines in indigenous lands.

Although the legislative proposal has a generic character, one of its objectives is to provide a legal mechanism for the construction of the so-called Tucuruí Line, which will link the state of Roraima to the SIN (National Interconnected System). The work will create a transmission line between Manaus (AM) and Boa Vista (RR), consisting of 250 transmission towers.

The proposal was approved by 60 votes in favor, four against and one abstention – 41 votes were needed, as it was a complementary bill. The text now goes to the vote in the Chamber of Deputies.

The bill provides that it will be of “relevant public interest for the Union” to pass electricity transmission lines through indigenous lands. The text emphasizes that this will be the rule, whenever the analysis indicates the technical alternatives and the location of the projects indicate “disproportionalities in the economic, financial and socio-environmental costs”.

The declaration of public interest must be made by means of a decree of the President of the Republic. The indigenous communities impacted by the implementation of the transmission line must be consulted in advance and compensation will be ensured for the “restriction of the usufruct of indigenous lands”, regardless of other compensation that is already provided for by law — for expropriation of land, for example.

The bill was presented by Senator Chico Rodrigues (União Brasil-RR), one of the representatives of the state of Roraima, which will benefit from the Tucuruí line. In the justification of the proposal, the author states that respect for the affected indigenous communities is necessary, “it is also essential to consider the interest of all in the installation of such an important infrastructure”.

Chico Rodrigues affirms that the inhabitants of Roraima depend on the supply of electric energy supplied by the combustion of diesel, because of the lack of a transmission line that connects them with the SIN. The energy supply is currently made with the production of five thermoelectric plants.

In the same vein, the rapporteur of the proposal, Senator Vanderlan Cardoso (PSD-GO) states that “the rights of indigenous peoples cannot absolutely overlap with the rights and needs of other people”.

“This infrastructure project [Linhão do Tucuruí] is considered essential for the state’s 500,000 inhabitants, who will have access to much cheaper and less polluting energy, with a stable supply”, he says in his report.

“It is noteworthy that all Brazilian consumers will benefit from the connection of Roraima to the SIN because there will be a reduction in the subsidy destined for the so-called isolated systems, of which the entire state is now a part. There are, therefore, the rights of the entire Roraima population and and environmental issues, also relevant, to consider in view of the territorial rights of indigenous peoples”, he adds.

The Linhão do Tucuruí became a government priority in the first year of its administration, when it was declared a work of national interest. It will cross indigenous lands occupied by Waimiri-Atroari indigenous people.

The decision took place because of the institutional and economic crisis faced by Venezuela, a neighboring country that supplied electricity to Roraima.

As Roraima is the only state that is not connected to the SIN, the state purchased more than 50% of its electricity from a Venezuelan company. The energy came from the Guri hydroelectric plant, in the neighboring country.

As the crisis in Venezuela worsened, however, the Venezuelan electricity supply began to fail constantly, until it was interrupted.

In September last year, President Jair Bolsonaro reported that he had obtained the last license he needed to start the works. However, Funai released the power line that cuts through the Amazon without first defining the compensation for indigenous communities.