Bolivia is about to build a highway that will damage the indigenous communities rights, who have resisted the project. The project cost amounts to 300 million USD and is funded by the National Social Development Bank (BNDES) of Brazil.

On Monday 15, hunderds of young, environmental and human rights activists demonstrated outside the Brazilian embassy since they blame Brazil for Evo Morales’ decision to build the highway that would divide the Indigenous Territory and National Park Isiboro Securo (TIPNIS) into two. Besides, the demonstrators also blamed Dilma Roussef’s administration for expanding the use of GMO in the country.

The protest against the large infrastructure work is supported by Brazilian organizations such as Friends of the Earth Brazil.

Representatives of the Association of Organic Farmers’ Organizations of Bolivia (AOPEB) said that as a result of the geographical situation and the ancient knowledge of indigenous peoples and peasants, Bolivia hosts many crops that have been the livelihood of the most important civilizations in South America, so they once again expressed their rejection to the government’s decision of expanding the use of GMO.

The young activists said that Brazil is the main interested in the construction of roads in Bolivia to transport its products to the Pacific coast, but also for the use of GMO to expand its exports.

Besides the demonstration there were actions by organizations, academics and people who believe the highway will cause irreparable damages to the environment and to the 64 communities living in TIPNIS.

“We call on the Plurnational State of Bolivia to reconsider its decision to build the second section of Villa Tunari-San Ignacio Moxos highway that cuts across TIPNIS and to listen to the indigenous peoples’ decision to avoid a confrontation among Bolivians”, reads a public statement signed by 43 organizations.

The building of the highway would cause the destruction of the tropical forest and the loss of biodiversity in one of the country’s most important protected areas as a result of the potential threat of the advance of the coca agriculture border and wood resource extraction.

Photo: eju.tv