Laugh, Relax, and Reality: Our weekend in Ouro Preto and Mariana

Author: Michelle Samukai

We started our weekend journey in a small town called Ouro Preto, The city is known for its historic churches, stunning views and one of Brazil’s top tourist destinations. It was refreshing for us to take a break from school work and planning to enjoy some great food and get to know each other better. Everyone had the opportunity to explore, make new friends, practice their Portuguese, and get some shopping done. We were able to enjoy some local nightlife and squeezed in some samba lessons at a bar close to the hostel.

Above photo: Ouro Preto,Brazil landscape

                                           Above photo: from left: Eve, Luz, Felli, Matt enjoying the city

                                           Left photo: Michelle relaxing and working

What started as a fun and relaxing weekend trip took a slight turn once we left Ouro Preto and journeyed to Mariana early Monday morning.

 Above photo: Courtyard in the City of Mariana

Mariana is a city about 30 mins outside of Ouro Preto. Upon our arrival on Monday morning, the town was busy with many locals going to and from work. The streets were filled with cars, bikes, and people. There was a different vibe to Mariana than we had experienced in any other city we visited in Brazil. Jon who was usually very vibrant and exploratory, felt reserved and withdrawn. Eve is usually very cheerful, but couldn’t explain the weird feeling she felt while in Mariana. It was not until we got a better understanding of the nearby dam disaster that everyone started to feel a similar dark cloud.

Photo: The Samarco company's Germano tailings dam, neighboring the one that burst in November 2015 near Bento Rodrigues

In November 2015, there was a severe tailings dam disaster that began with the huge inundation of mud, completely devastating the town of Bento Rodrigues. Samarco, the mining company responsible for the damages caused during the burst. The disaster was the most recent environmental tragedy in Brazil, and the nation's worst to date. Not only was the whole town  destroyed, covered in mud and chemical waste, but subsequently, the mud flowed along about 600 km of rivers, joining the Rio Doce and eventually spilling into the ocean, causing devastation to towns and ecosystems throughout its path. There have been 19 reported deaths but that number could have been higher if the situation would have started in the evening. During an interview with Ana Cristina Souza, who works  as a volunteer at a recently-started NGO, Journal a Sirene,  which shares stories and advocates for the affected populations, Ana Cristina stated that 3000 families were directly and indirectly affected by the disaster. Everyone from the town had to relocate to different communities in Mariana. Families lost their income sources, children had to move to new schools, and the Municipality has been negatively impacted economically. Mariana is currently experiencing the hardest economic setback as a direct cause of the dam disaster.

Photo: A street in Mariana

The group was not prepared for the emotional reality that the region was experiencing. Essentially, people from Bento Rodrigues have become environmental refugees in their own country. A refugee is usually considered a stateless individual, but this circumstance is not unusual. In recent history environmental disasters are creating more and more refugees. In this case who is responsible for the lives of these families? The local government is financially unable to provide, federal and state government is more concerned with the financial gains from their 43 billion dollar lawsuit against Samarco. The company is offering a limited amount of assistance to families from the region. What will happen in the long term? What should the government be doing to assure a similar devastation does not occur in another town?

I think it was a big reality check for many of us once we realized how environmental disasters destructive and catastrophic. It is no longer just about conserving the environment economic gain; instead it is about protecting the environment to protect each other. Governments need to make it a priority to protect their environment for national security and safety. If we continue to destroy our home eventually we will have nowhere to call home. Imagine if the above photo was covered in mud and chemical residue? What would happen to the residents in those homes?