BELO MONTE
The tug-of-war over an Amazonian gold mine
Indigenous activists held protests in Brasília last month, calling for a halt in Belo Sun’s gold mining license process. Photo: Amazon Watch
A federal appellate court in Brasília is expected to issue a decision today on the future of a highly contested mining endeavor in the Brazilian Amazon, in what will be the latest chapter in a 14-year legal back-and-forth.
Since 2012, Canadian firm Belo Sun has been seeking permission to set up the Volta Grande gold mine in the vicinity of Brazil’s hulking Belo Monte hydroelectric complex, on the Xingu River in the Amazonian state of Pará. The company’s plans involve excavating what would become Brazil’s largest open-pit gold mine, with a projected extraction of 100 tonnes of the precious metal.
Belo Sun’s aspirations, however, have…
🔒 This was a free preview; the rest is behind our paywall
Don’t miss out! Upgrade to unlock full access. The process takes only seconds with Apple Pay or Stripe. Become a member.
Why you should subscribe
We’re here for readers who want to truly understand Brazil and Latin America — a region too often ignored or misrepresented by the international media.
Since 2017, our reporting has been powered by paid subscribers. They’re the reason we can keep a full-time team of journalists across Brazil and Argentina, delivering sharp, independent coverage every day.
If you value our work, subscribing is the best way to keep it going — and growing.
Interested in advertising with us? Get in touch.
Need a special report? We can do it.
Have an idea for an article or column? Pitch us
