Protesting Indians block workers at construction site of hydroelectric plant in Amazon

Brazil Indians block workers at hydroelectric site

SAO PAULO — About 300 Amazon Indians prevented workers from entering or leaving the construction site of a hydroelectric plant that protesters say is on an ancient burial ground, Brazil’s official news agency said Sunday.

Indians from eight tribes taking part in the protest are demanding compensation for losses caused by construction of the Dardanelos plant in the southern Amazon city of Aripuana, according to Agencia Brasil.

“They want a sustainable program in the region to make up for their losses in this archaeological site,” Brazil’s national Indian bureau coordinator, Antonio Carlos Ferreira Aquino, told the news agency.

The Indians have not resorted to violence since blocking the workers early Sunday, but a plant manager told the government news service that he feared for the workers’ safety.

Manager Paulo Rogerio Novaes said the Indians are seeking access to better living conditions in the region and are trying to attract attention for their demands.

“These are problems the state needs to solve,” he said.

Novaes said the plant, which is expected to be ready by the end of the year, would not directly affect the Indians, whose nearest tribe is located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) away.

The Indians say it is being built on a burial site.

Government officials were expected to arrive in the region Monday to negotiate with the Indians.