Brazilian Luxury Resort Project Halted Amid Indigenous and Environmental Dispute in Maricá

The Maraey tourism‑residential project, backed by IDB Brasil (operating as Maraey Rio de Janeiro S.A.), plans to invest R$11 billion to build a luxury complex on the Maricá restinga, including three Marriott hotels, 392 high‑end residences, a hotel‑management school, a tennis club, an equestrian centre, a golf course and an environmental reference centre. The development covers most of the 844‑hectare area within the Maricá Environmental Protection Area (APA), which shelters endangered species and archaeological sites.

Local opposition comes from the fishermen of the Zacarias community (about 150 families), Guarani indigenous villages Mata Verde Bonita (≈300 residents) and Morada dos Pássaros, the Associação Comunitária de Cultura e Lazer dos Pescadores de Zacarias, the Rio de Janeiro State Public Prosecutor’s Office, the State Public Defender, university researchers and NGOs such as Apalma and Movimento Baía Viva. They warn of irreversible damage to fauna, flora, water resources, geological formations and cultural heritage.

On 1 July, Judge Fábio Ribeiro Porto ordered a complete suspension of construction and revoked environmental licences, stating that the current licence only permits infrastructure works and that any action in Mata Verde Bonita requires FUNAI approval. Appeals are pending before the Superior Tribunal de Justiça and the Supremo Tribunal Federal.