Lithium Mine Opposers Block Savannah Works in Boticas

Cerca of 30 people who oppose lithium extraction in Covas do Barroso, Boticas, today repeat a blockade of the work carried out by Savannah in one of the areas of administrative servitude.

“ We are making a new block, we said we were not going to stop and we are not going to stop, nothing will demobilize us from our fight, we will continue to defend our village with dignity, which is what we want, it is this way of life that we want to carry on and that is what we are going to defend,” said the president of the U.S. Barroso Covas Association (UDCB), Nélson Gomes.

By 06:00, about 30 people gathered on the plots marked for Savannah Resources polling and formed a human cord in front of a surveying machine, trying to stop the progress of the work.

With the arrival of the company's security officers on site, GNR was also called.

“We don’t want a mine outside our homes,” Nélson Gomes stressed.

“ At a time when there is so much talk of housing, it is also our house that is at risk, it is our dwelling because having a mine at home, we run the risk of having to leave our houses and be forced to leave the village, something we do not want”, he added.

Already on October 9, the association interrupted the work of the company, with GNR identifying 27 opponents to the lithium mine, which Savannah wants to explore in the Barroso Covas area.

“ We are on wasteland, land where we have already had intervention projects, that is, we have been encouraged to preserve the forest, to invest in the forest and now what we are seeing is that the machines enter, strip, cut pines, cut trees, do the mobilization of the soil as it is seen, only leave stones in sight and this is what we do not want”, said the responsible.

In May, the Ministry of the Environment authorized a second administrative servitude, which allows Savannah to enter community and private land for geotechnia work, which was challenged in court by a restraining order brought by the Board of Directors of the Barroso Covas Parish, which led to the suspension of the surveys for about 20 days.

Paulo Pires, pastor of Romainho, said that this “fight is also for the defense of the way of life of the community”.

“ This fight is also for the defense of our home, which is our village. Nobody wants to live 200 meters from an open mine (...). We've worked all our lives to get the land and cattle we have. And now it's our own government that wants to take that away from us by force. We do not accept”.

For Barroso’s President of the Covas Board, Rita Mó, the blockade is also a protest against the European Union’s (EU) action.

“ We must resort to this blockade because we have exhausted all other options. From above there are only orders, and no openings to listen to the population. We have for example an EU that constantly boasts of representing the continent of rights. For who? Where do you see this one? A Europe of rights when its rural populations are treated as disposable? When we are threatened by a mass expropriation of our land”, he questioned.

Considering that it is “the European Commission itself that promotes a mining project that is not only an environmental attack, it goes against the express will of local populations”.

“ It must be remembered that while hitchhiking this project, this community lives with private surveillance and security cameras installed in the village. It is an abuse ", said the mayor.

Nélson Gomes assured that the blockades will continue “as long as necessary”.

The mining project was made possible by the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), with the issuing of a favorable Environmental Impact Declaration (IAI) conditioned in 2023.

Savannah wants to start construction in 2027 and achieve the first production in 2028.