Seven years after Brumadinho: impunity allows Vale’s disasters to continue
Seven years ago, the dam owned by mining company Vale collapsed in Brumadinho, Brazil, killing 272 people and severely polluting the surrounding area. While the relatives of the victims commemorate them and fight for justice, the pollution continues.
Furthermore, on the day of the commemoration, January 25, two more breaches occurred in Vale's dams that used to store mining waste. The contaminated water eventually reached the same river that was polluted in January 2019. Also, mining activities have resumed at the same location, once again polluting the water sources of hundreds of families.
“There are no words to express the negligence, irresponsibility, and greed of this company,” says Carolina de Moura, a resident of the Jangada community and member of the Instituto Cordilheira. “Vale spent millions of dollars on advertising at COP30 (that took place last November in Brazil), but takes no safety measures for its dams. Why do investors who call themselves responsible continue to invest in this company that repeatedly commits crimes?”
“Impunity ensures that crimes continue to be repeated,” say the families of the fatal victims, and that is precisely why there is an Observatório das Ações Penais sobre a Tragédia em Brumadinho (Observatory for Criminal Actions Related to the Tragedy in Brumadinho). Despite the scale of the crime, no one has been arrested to date. "We have a case with hundreds of victims, dozens of suspects, and a difficult system to deal with this within a reasonable time frame. Nevertheless, the process is moving forward, largely thanks to the efforts of the victims," analyzes Danilo Chammas, member of the Human Rights Litigation team at Instituto Cordilheira and representative of AVABRUM in the criminal cases, as assistant prosecutor. On February 23, 2026, an important phase of the trial will begin: the preliminary hearings. Witnesses for the prosecution, the defense, and the defendants will be heard; a total of 183 people will testify, in an extensive schedule that runs until March 2027.
Both ENDS supports local partner organizations such as Instituto Cordilheira by bringing their quest for justice to the attention of an international audience and, more specifically, by making Dutch investors in Vale aware of the high risks that this company's activities pose to people and the environment.
Read more about this subject
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Dossier /Seeking justice for the affected communities of Vale’s mining disasters in Mariana and Brumadinho
In 2015 and 2019, the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais experienced two severe mining tragedies in Mariana and Brumadinho, due to the same mining company: Vale. Since then, the affected communities have been seeking justice, via the criminal punishment of the responsible parties, and a fair compensation for the loss of their loved ones, their homes and their livelihoods. Both ENDS supports local CSOs by amplifying their quest for justice within an international audience and, more specifically, by raising awareness amongst Dutch investors in Vale about the high risks this company’s activities pose for people and the environment.
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Dossier /Gas in Mozambique
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Dossier /Export Credit Agencies: Who pays the price?
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Dossier /Rights for People, Rules for Corporations – Stop ISDS!
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Blog / 25 november 2025COP30 shows why dismantling ISDS is essential for real climate action
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Dossier /Wetlands without Borders
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News / 5 november 2025Interview: Both ENDS at COP30 for Climate Justice and Systemic Change
Both ENDS is present at COP30 to advocate for genuine access to climate finance for locally led, gender-just climate solutions and the mechanisms that facilitate this, including those for farmer-led restoration. Furthermore, the organisation participates to ensure the crucial connection between the climate negotiations and the trade and investment frameworks that shape them.
Learn more about the Both ENDS team at COP30 below, and find all the activities and side-events in which Both ENDS will participate.
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News / 5 november 2025Overview of Both ENDS events at COP30 in Belem, Brazil
Both ENDS is present at COP30 to advocate for genuine access to climate finance for locally led, gender-just climate solutions, and for the mechanisms that make these possible, including those supporting farmer-led restoration. The organisation also engages to highlight the crucial connection between climate negotiations and the trade and investment frameworks that shape them.
Below is an overview of the Both ENDS team at COP30 and a detailed look at the activities and side-events in which Both ENDS will participate.
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News / 27 oktober 2025New Step in FMO’s Complaint Policy – Civil Society Organizations Call for Further Strengthening
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Publication / 16 oktober 2025
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Publication / 16 oktober 2025
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News / 9 oktober 2025Both ENDS launches new strategy: “Connecting people for an environmentally just world”
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Publication / 9 oktober 2025
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Dossier /International trade and investment with respect for people and planet
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News / 6 oktober 2025From Entebbe to Accra: civil society is rewriting the rules of investment
By Fernando Hernández Espino and Bart-Jaap Verbeek
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News / 22 september 2025EU-Indonesia Trade Deal Threatens Communities and Environment
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Dossier /Soy: trade in deforestation
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Blog / 12 augustus 2025Nickel mining for the energy transition: who is accountable for the damage?
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Dossier /Towards a socially and environmentally just energy transition
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News / 16 juli 2025Case Study: Fighting Environmental Transphobia and Social Fragmentation in Brazil
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