“They have Vale's power in their hands”: The perceptions of the riverbank dwellers of the middle Doce River about the reparations carried out by the Renova Foundation in Tumiritinga and Galiléia (Minas Gerais).

Abstract

The role played by mining companies Vale, Samarco and BHP Billiton in repairing the Doce River basin, affected by the collapse of the Fundão dam, has been criticized by specialized literature for reinforcing the self-regulation of the mining sector. But what do the recipients of the reparation and/or compensation actions say about the assistance they received in the affected territories from the Renova Foundation? The aim of this article is to investigate how reparations, agreed via Conduct Adjustment Terms (TACs), are experienced and narrated by the people affected in the riverside towns of Tumiritinga-MG and Galileia-MG, located on the middle Doce River, in eastern Minas Gerais. The research underpinning this work is empirical and qualitative in nature. The use of free interviews and participant observation made it possible to map local feelings and perceptions. What is experienced and narrated in the middle Doce River reveals the power of mining companies over existence in the basin. But it also reveals the daily resistance of the riverside communities.