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on Luiz Flavio Cappio, 61 years old, has been eating but a teaspoon of sugar with water for the past 16 days in a chapel in the milled of the ‘sertão’, the desert of Brazil. It is the most vociferous hunger strike ever undertaken by a prelate said Rocco Cotroneo, from “Corriere della Sera” who is reporting the story from Brazil.
Don Luiz has been struggling for years against a dream pursued by several Brazilian governments to take water from the São Francisco river to irrigate a vast semi-arid region where 12 million people are living. The project has been approved, financed and even passed the environmental impact test. The government says that the water that would be taken is no more than 1.4% than the river flow, while bringing enormous benefits to the local families and the economy. But the bishop is already fighting his second protest. Two years ago he resumed eating after 11 days of hunger strike.
“In this period of Advent, living hope, we invite the Christian community and people of good will to join the fast and prayer of ‘dom’ Luiz Cappio, for his life, his health and in solidarity with the cause he is defending. «Hope doesn’t relent (Rm 5,5)»”, writes the Pastoral Council of the Brazilian Bishops Conference (CNBB), intervening in regard to the ‘solidarity fast’ begun on November 27 by Monsignor (‘dom’) Luiz Flavio Cappio, Franciscan Bishop of Barra (Bahia), against the diversion project (‘transposição’) of the Saõ Francisco River, third course of water of Brazil.
The fast and prayer of ‘dom’ Cappio - continues the statement - “are motivated by the spirit of a pastor who loves his people. Dom Luiz expresses his constant commitment in defense of the Saõ Francisco River and the life of the populations along the banks – farmers, ‘quilombolas’ (communities formed by freed slaves of African origin), indigenous peoples – and of other areas. His actions reveal respect for human dignity and the conviction that mankind is capable of cohabitating in harmony and respect of nature”.
In this period of Advent, living hope, we invite the Christian community and people of good will to join the fast and prayer of ‘dom’ Luiz Cappio, for his life, his health and in solidarity with the cause he is defending
According to the Bishops, ‘dom’ Cappio “sheds light on the impact of two opposite models of development: on one side, a participative and sustainable model that valorizes family agriculture and the preservation of the environment; on the other, a model that privileges agro and hydro-business, with grave environmental and social consequences, because it exploits the people and destroys the rivers and forests.
His struggle in defense of the Saõ Francisco River is sustained by what is said in the Aparecida document: «The natural resources of our nations suffer today an irrational exploitation, which leaves in its path a march of destruction and even death throughout our region. The present economic model must assume an enormous responsibility. It privileges the excessive search for wealth, over and above the lives of individuals and peoples and the care of the natural environment (DA 473)»”.
The Brazilian Bishops Conference, received on Wednesday by President Luiz Ignácio Lula da Silva, re-expressed the need for continuity in wide dialogue on the project for the diversion of the river bed, also emphasizing the importance of its ‘revitalization’ and guarantee that all the population has access to good quality water “as a human right and public asset”.
“The democratic government has the responsibility of interpreting the aspirations of the civil society, for the common good, offering citizens the effective possibility of participating in decisions, accepting and respecting judiciary orders in a peaceful manner. We feel it necessary to evaluate alternative, socially adequate and necessary proposals presented by government entities, experts and social movements, at a minor cost and with the possibility that a major number of people and communes benefit”, concludes the document.
(From MISNA)