The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR)...has officially requested the Brazilian Government to immediately suspend the Belo Monte Dam Complex [a project of Consórcio Norte Energia] in the Amazonian state of Para, citing the project’s potential harm to the rights of traditional communities living within the Xingu river basin. According to the IACHR, the Brazilian Government must comply with legal obligations to undertake a consultation process that is “free, prior, informed, of good faith and culturally appropriate” with indigenous peoples threatened by the project before further work can proceed...The IACHR’s decision responds to a complaint submitted in November 2010 on behalf of local, traditional communities of the Xingu river basin...The [complaint] argues that the dam would cause irreversible social and environmental damage, including forced displacement of communities...