It keeps coming! Now this from yesterday's edition of the local...

It keeps coming! Now this from yesterday's edition of the local paper, with thanks to Google Translate:

Sento Sé communities reach the 10th day of protests against the road damaged by a mining company

Published 12 hours ago

on February 8, 2023

By **riel Philliph

Today, Wednesday (08), marks the 10th day of demonstrations by the eleven traditional communities in the interior of Sento Sé, located on the edge of Lake Sobradinho. The demonstrations, which blocked the road that connects the community of Ponta D'água to the headquarters of Sento Sé, claim the construction of asphalt on the BA-210 road, which suffered impacts after the installation of a mining company in the locality. Residents claim that the vehicles used to transport iron ore by Tombador Iron Mineração have caused heavy impacts on the road. In addition, they denounce the exploitation of the natural and cultural heritage of the semi-arid region, predominantly Caatinga by the company.

“When it rains, it gets stuck, when it's dry, the dust is horrible”, says Dona Maria Rosa Cruz, 59 years old. The resident explains that, rain or shine, every day, dozens of trucks transporting iron ore pass through the stretch of the BA-210, connecting the communities to the municipal seat, causing inconvenience to the population. In addition to the damaged road, residents also denounce the dust, environmental destruction, risk of accidents and interference in the way of life of the communities.

The protests have about 300 people, who take turns to occupy the place. Since January 30, two occupation points have been blocked, preventing the passage of trucks and employees of the mining company. The main objective of the demonstration is to get the road asphalted, which is about 100 kilometers long. With several lanes, residents urgently demand asphalt and compliance with territorial rights.

Although they have manifested themselves in favor of the right to popular demonstration, Tombador Iron Mineração, the Municipality of Sento Sé and the Government of the State of Bahia have not yet reached an agreement with the residents and have not guaranteed compliance with the demands. Therefore, there is still no forecast for the road to be cleared by the protesters. The State Government reported that the road is the responsibility of the municipality, while the municipality said that the responsibility for carrying out the asphalt rests with the State. While they are in this 'push game', the population has been suffering from neglect.

Residents claim that the dirt road causes difficulties, damage to vehicles, which break down in holes, and even health problems, because of the dust. On the morning of this Wednesday (8), carts carrying ore were waiting for clearance to pass. The municipality stated that it periodically maintains the road, even if it is a stretch of the BA-210. On the afternoon of this Wednesday (8), a meeting between residents and city hall representatives will be held to discuss the matter.
From the Editor – Sento Sé Notícias