The indigenous Pataxó tribe of Brazil is protesting against the transport of pipe for the Minas-Rio iron ore project being developed by MMX Mineração e Metálicos SA. The 525km slurry pipeline will connect Minas-Rio’s future iron ore concentration and beneï¬?ciation plants in Minas Gerais state to Açu port in Rio de Janeiro state, from where the iron ore will be exported. MMX built a stockyard ï¬?ve months ago in the municipality of Carmésia, Minas Gerais, to receive the pipe. The material is being transported on highway MG 232, which passes through the Pataxós’ reserve, MMX said in a statement. The tribe threatened to charge a toll to allow the transport of trucks and also proposed an alternative in the form of an “agricultural mechanisation” project to MMX, which the miner rejected because it was incompatible with the company’s policies on community action, the company said. As a result the tribe has not allowed the transport of pipes on the MG 232 since 26 May and has detained some trucks.
