Protest in defense of public water marks Friday the 13th as a day of resistance in Northern and Northwestern Rio de Janeiro State.
On Friday the 13th of Carnival, the Popular Front in Defense of Water, together with the STAECNON-RJ Union, partner unions, parliamentarians, and civil society organizations, held a high-impact demonstration in front of the headquarters of the Intermunicipal Consortium for the Development of Northern and Northwestern Rio de Janeiro (CIDENNF). The demonstration strategically protested against the opening of bids that will determine the private concessionaire responsible for replacing CEDAE in the municipalities of Bom Jesus do Itabapoana, Italva, Cardoso Moreira, Quissamã, and Conceição de Macabu, a process that is facing strong opposition.
The symbolism of the date was used by protesters to denounce what they call a "strategy of silence": the holding of a crucial sanitation project during a national holiday. The movement expresses deep dissatisfaction with the privatization project supported by the mayors.
The event was attended by a significant number of parliamentarians from the region, reinforcing the political front against the concession. The following council members were present:
• Alexandra Moreira and Marquinho de Mariquita (Quissamã);
• Pedro Henrique (Conceição de Macabu);
• Danilo Gozendei (Cardoso Moreira);
• Léo Xandão (Bom Jesus do Itabapoana)
• Cape Alonsimar (Campos dos Goytacazes);
• Rodrigo Santana (São Fidélis).
The strength of the labor movement was also evident in the presence of key leaders for labor and social issues, such as the president of the Chemical Workers Union, Carlos Antônio; the president of the Metalworkers Union, João Paulo; and the director of the Security Guards Union, Vasconcelos.
Leaders present criticized the lack of democratic dialogue and pointed out technical errors in the bidding process, which hands over an essential asset to the logic of private profit. For the Popular Front, replacing CEDAE with large consortia threatens the sovereignty of municipalities over their water resources and jeopardizes the quality of service provided to the population.
The central objective of the mobilization was to raise awareness of the risks of abusive tariffs and the deterioration of service in less profitable areas after the concession. The event reaffirmed that popular vigilance will not be demobilized by the carnival festivities. The resistance promises to now proceed through legal and legislative channels, seeking to block the advancement of a model that, according to the protesters, ignores the social interest.
