Un anillo letal de carbón: El regalo envenenado de VALE a Mozambique

The report details systemic abuses by VALE Moçambique, including forced displacements of thousands of families, police violence against protesters, and severe environmental pollution. It highlights the lack of fair compensation for local brickmakers and farmers, the contamination of water and air exceeding international limits, and the company's refusal to disclose environmental monitoring reports despite court orders. The text argues that these extractive activities exacerbate the climate crisis in a region already vulnerable to extreme weather events.

• VALE Moçambique displaced thousands of families to establish the Moatize mine and the Nacala logistics corridor, with 1,365 families moved to Cateme and 25 de Setembro and another 2,000 along the corridor. These resettlements were characterized by inadequate housing, poor sanitation, and land unsuitable for subsistence farming.
• The company has utilized the Mozambique Police (PRM) and the Rapid Intervention Unit (UIR) to violently suppress protests, using rubber bullets, live ammunition, and tear gas. Specific incidents include the arbitrary arrest of brickmakers and a May 2021 event where a protester named Vasco was shot in the stomach by a UIR agent.
• Mining operations have caused severe water scarcity and pollution. Rivers were diverted for mine use or contaminated, blocking access for communities such as Primeiro de Maio, Liberdade, and Paiol. Laboratory analysis in 2021 showed cadmium levels in the Liberdade neighborhood at 0.009 mg/l, three times the limit set by Mozambique and the WHO (0.003 mg/l).
• The Moatize mine has caused significant public health crises, with residents reporting black phlegm and a high incidence of tuberculosis. Additionally, mining explosions have caused structural damage, with over 1,000 houses in the neighborhoods of Primeiro de Maio, Nhantchere, Liberdade, and Bagamoyo experiencing cracked walls or collapse.
• VALE has consistently resisted disclosing public interest information. Despite rulings from the Administrative Litigation Court in favor of Justiça Ambiental (JA!) and the Mozambique Bar Association (OAM) regarding environmental monitoring reports and tax payments, the company has appealed these decisions to avoid transparency.
• The document links the continued use of fossil fuels and coal extraction to the deepening climate crisis in Mozambique, noting that the country is highly vulnerable to extreme weather, as evidenced by the 2019 floods in Tete and Cyclone Idai.

APA

Valoi, E. (2022). Un anillo letal de carbón: El regalo envenenado de VALE a Mozambique. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/es/vale-mozambiqueun-anillo-letal-de-carbon/

Chicago

Valoi, Estacio. Un anillo letal de carbón: El regalo envenenado de VALE a Mozambique. Friends of the Earth International, 2022. https://www.foei.org/es/vale-mozambiqueun-anillo-letal-de-carbon/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Valoi |first1=Estacio |title=Un anillo letal de carbón: El regalo envenenado de VALE a Mozambique |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=11 March 2022 |url=https://www.foei.org/es/vale-mozambiqueun-anillo-letal-de-carbon/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{valoi2022anillo, author = {Valoi, Estacio}, title = {{Un anillo letal de carbón: El regalo envenenado de VALE a Mozambique}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2022}, month = mar, url = {https://www.foei.org/es/vale-mozambiqueun-anillo-letal-de-carbon/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }