Brazzil

Which law is it that allows the army to begin excavation on a presumably civilian project?
How much of this 3.6 Billion dollars is being invested by the supposed beneficiaries of this scheme and how much is taxpayer's money?

El Presidente Lula da Silva should consider his attempt to once again sell to commerce what is not his to sell. Again, peasants have no rights for this cartoon socialist. He must dream forever of the days in prison where they brainwashed him to disregard the suffering of the people to enrich the elites.
Every time he takes a shower he should know that he will never wash the stench of this action from his body. Every time he puts water to his lips he should know that it is tainted with the blood of dead and starving peasants. Like the vampires he once detested, now God's Holy Water is but acid to his carcass.
Beware Brazil! Know ye that God tried to warn Pharaoh, who was also disobedient. Egypt still suffers to this day for the stubborn refusal of one man to do the right thing.

- This was NOT the first ruling...curiously !
- illegal activities are quite normal in Brazil, when it comes from the government, the army, and/or the politicians.
Corruption is the first name of the game, the second name is.....Impunity !
This should be printed on the Brazilian flag :" Corruption and Impunity are the bases of the Brazilian Society" and the Surpeme Court of Injustice is in charge to apply !

And as to the statement "Brazil beware...etc..Egypt still suffer...etc" is correct. That is why developed and wealthy nations deserve their wealth. We were only obedient to common sense not necessarily to God !!!!!
With God or not, common sense will always prevail and rather sooner than later.
And with God or not, uncommon sense will always prevail in Brazil. This is the only thing for which you truly excel !

- If you dont want the dryland of your country become green....you are right !
- If you are against the development of your poorer regions....you are right !
- if you are against spending money to reduce poverty in these dry regions.....you are right !

Stupid questions : how are you taking a shower from your homes/appartments in your cities ? From rainwater, or from having diverted
water from rivers one way or the other ??????
And how are you farming your millions of hectares of irrigated land ? By taking water from the rivers...by definition.
100 % of the wealthy nations find it normal to take the water needed...from where it is !
100 % of the poorer nations find it either anormal, such as in Brazil when only others benefits, or cannot afford it. But refusing such a development when finally a budget is approved is absurd.
The Sao Francisco problem is not taking water from it, but not taking too much water because by taking too much could end up to an opposite effect long term.

Finally believing one second that Lula is pro the project and the Bishop against it is dead wrong.
Lula always make promises that he doesnt deliver.
Therefore a delayed or a cancellation of the project fits him perfectly....so that he could spend the cost of the project in more corruption in the government. And up to the next President to bear or not the cost for the project.
And in order to do so, Lula asked his friend the Bishop (because friends they are) to be against the project.
No doubt in my mind, that a few new churches were promised in exchange.
Ohhhh and also promises to unofficially refill the church purses...through hidden corruption of course.
Thus Lula and the Bishop are accomplices and not in the opposition of one to the other.
But as you all know, Lula is the king of promises.....not delivered anyway.
Thus it it is not impossible that the Bishop BECAME against the project, as a revenge aagainst Lula, because his ex-friend Lula betrayed his original promises.

Promises make friends if promises are respected, betraying a promise make ennemies.
And using a third person....responsible.....for not delivering their own promises.....is a Lula expertise !
Just look at your vote buying scandal ! Has Lula not said : HE was betrayed ????????

The bishop is much criticized in Brazil for interfering in politics, especially by those who know absolutely nothing about the project. In fact, he is interceding for his people. He has lived on the São Francisco basin for over 30 years and knows what he is talking about. The river is highly polluted...why dont they clean it up first for those who live beside it, rather than spend tax-payers money for irrigation projects in the desert? That water will not benefit the poor peasants of the sertão, only 4% of them will receive some of this water. There are dozens of towns on the upper reaches of this river, especially in Bahia, where people are in the same state of utter poverty, despite living beside this river, as those in the Northeast without it. The bishop is right, the project is a scam waving a flag to quench the thirst of the poor. And the cost will spiral up to 20 billion reais, just wait and see. His voice is a lost cry in the wilderness. His selfless act reminds me of the famous Chinese "tank man" who stood alone against the tanks in Tiananmen square... and consequently "disappeared" as dissidents do in China. Dom Luiz has nothing personal to gain from his protest, and has everything to lose. Most people have not the first clue about the project, what it will do, how much it will cost, the fact that the water will be pumped 500 METRES in altitude...how much energy is required to do that? and where will the energy come from? Ha, these questions are not anwered....Not to mention the fact that the Sobradinho dam is down to 14% capacity right now...how are we going to quench the thirst of the Northeast on that? People along the river already need water trucks!

'Brazilian Army, which is in charge of the excavation and has been working on the project for more than five months'

Certainly the time for public outcry would have been at the time of the initial rulling of the Supreme Court. 5 months and millions of dollars in construction, planning and personel seems a bit of 'a day late and a dollar short.'

The conflict of state's rights and federal rights have a long history. It is a bit like the Colorado River and California. Atlanta, Georgia is suffering drought because the states of Alabama and Florida downstream are taking all the water.

The waters of the São Francisco are the nation of Brazil and not that of any state. The benefit to the 'greater good' has inevitable precident.

BTW

Starves to death means he is dead as a consequence of starvation; as he is not dead yet he is merely starving to death.

Starves to death means he is dead as a consequence of starvation; as he is not dead yet he is merely starving to death.

You got a point there.Thanks for correcting the English of the reporter. However I think that it is time for the good Bishop to stop being stubborn and terminate his hunger strike and for the government to reevaluate this project.

BTW, where were you all this time? In Bolivia?

Three minutes without oxygen, three hours without heat in a cold environment, three days without water, thirty days without food: it´s OK.

He´s not starving to death.....yet.

No such thing as States Rights in Brazil.

If he really intended to kill himself he might have better opted for the three days without water.

I I want to kill myself I think like Ric for three minutes.