Brazilian court to decide fate of Belo Sun's Volta Grande gold mine

A Brazilian federal court in Brasília will rule on whether the controversial Volta Grande gold mine, operated by Canadian firm Belo Sun, can continue in the Amazon rainforest of Pará state. The decision will determine if licensing authority rests with the federal government or the state, potentially ending the project's suspension.

The mine, planned on the Xingu River near the Belo Monte hydroelectric dam, is projected to extract 3.52 million ounces of gold over 17 years, moving more than 600 million tons of material across a 24‑square‑kilometre site. Scientists have warned that the tailings dam could leak toxic waste into the river, and the project would displace about 813 Indigenous families while emitting roughly 3.7 million tons of CO₂. Indigenous groups, including the Juruna and Arara, claim they never consented to the project, contrary to a 2017 ruling that required federal approval and proper consultation. Federal prosecutors argue the mine’s impacts on Indigenous lands and a federal waterway make it a federal matter.