Hundreds of members of indigenous communities in the Brazilian Amazon invaded the construction site of the Belo Monte hydroelectric dam on Thursday, 27th, October. The indigenous groups demanded the presence of a senior Brazilian official, saying that they wanted to start a new round of negotiations over the dam, Amazon Watch, an organization that works to protect the Amazon region and indigenous people, reported.

"Belo Monte will only succeed if we do nothing about it," Juma Xipaia, an indigenous leader from the Xingu area, said in a statement released by Amazon Watch. "We will not be silent. We will shout out loud, and we will do it now."

"This is kind of a last resort," said Atossa Soltani, the founder of Amazon Watch.  Ms. Soltani said indigenous groups were committed to nonviolent action. Last year, at a meeting at a village along the Xingu River about 70 indigenous leaders vowed to form a new tribe of 2500 to occupy the construction site and, if necessary, sacrifice their lives to defend their native lands.