Latin America / In the Medias

Originally published by Americas Program, Center for International Policy 

Originally published in the Atlanta Journal Constitution

Now that The New York Times - an international opinion leader - has taken a stand, your action to stop the dams will have much more impact. Please read the editorial and take action to help us in the fight to protect the Baker and Pascua rivers in Patagonia.

A Brazilian bishop who has been on hunger strike for more than three weeks has been admitted to hospital after he lost consciousness.

Luiz Flavio Cappio has been fasting for 23 days in protest at an irrigation project involving the diversion of South America's fourth largest river.

SAO PAULO, Brazil -

A Brazilian consortium won an auction Monday to build and operate a major dam in the Amazon rain forest following a bidding process disrupted by protesters who claim the project will displace thousands and harm the environment.

A diversion tunnel for recently built dam in Brazil failed during the last week in June, causing an uncontrolled release of the water from the huge upstream reservoir. The failure caused no loss of life and contractors assert that the dam’s main structure is intact, but the event is raising alarms from international environmental groups and sparking concerns about additional delays in the project, which is already well behind schedule.