Sakamoto criticizes 'Vale's inability and the incompetence of authorities'

247 - "Words are important. What happened this Friday (25) in Brumadinho (MG) was not a simple accident and the resulting deaths are not a matter of chance either," says journalist Leonardo Sakamoto. on his blog at Uol"What happened is a result of Vale's inability to ensure that its operations do not kill human beings, pollute water, contaminate the soil, and destroy the environment, and of the incompetence of authorities from the three branches of government in properly punishing the company when it causes tragedies or in preventing them from happening."

According to the journalist, "investigations will point to what led to the collapse, but the irresponsible use of the word 'accident' suggests that all of this was inevitable, attributing to luck and misfortune a responsibility that lies in the hands of companies and governments."

"I was in Mariana on the day of the disaster and wrote here that, shortly after the sea of ​​mud reached the beach where the Doce River meets the sea, the headlines would be replaced by other tragedies. But that exactly the same thing would happen again in Minas Gerais and that the countdown clock had already been set. With the acquiescence not only of the State, which fails due to a lack of oversight and punishment, but also of part of the press and society, which dedicate more time to monitoring political power than to the harmful behavior of economic actors," he states.

"Our legislation should be rigorous in holding companies accountable, in preventive actions, in guaranteeing a structure for inspection, and in situations where prohibiting exploitation is the only way out."