On Tuesday (7), the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America –Peoples' Trade Treaty (ALBA-T, in Spanish) released a letter expressing solidarity with the “people and government of Brazil” for the heavy rains that flooded the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The document was signed by ALBA, which includes Venezuela, Bolivia, Cuba and Nicaragua.
In the statement, the organization regrets the human and material losses and expresses its condolences to the families of the victims. Alba also states that it is following the efforts of the Brazilian state and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Workers’ Party) to provide a rapid response to the events and for the families affected. The document also says the organization gives its full to Brazil at this time.
The letter also recalls that the floods recorded in recent days in the Brazilian state have sured those of 1941. That year, the Guaíba Lake reached 4.76 meters and took 32 days to drop to below flood level. According to the official bodies, the highest level recorded in the 2024 flood was 5.33 meters, last Sunday (5).
ALBA concludes the text by stating that this was the 4th environmental disaster of this kind in the country, and that it is necessary to “continue fighting against the devastating consequences of climate change and forces to mitigate the risks of these situations.”
Last Friday (3), the Venezuelan Foreign Minister, Yván Gil, had already offered to the Brazilian government on behalf of the Venezuelan government and President Nicolás Maduro. The Cuban president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, also sent a message to Lula expressing his solidarity and stating that he is closely following “the serious climate situation in Rio Grande do Sul."
Updated numbers
The report released by the Civil Defense of Rio Grande do Sul indicates that, at 9:15 a.m. on Tuesday (7), the flood level was at 5.25 meters. It is caused by heavy rains that have been hitting Rio Grande do Sul since April 29 and have already resulted in 100 deaths (May 8). According to the Civil Defense, another 4 deaths are under investigation. There are 132 people missing and another 361 injured.
According to the report released on Tuesday, 155,741 people are homeless, and 48,187 are in shelters. Of the 497 municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul, 388 report problems related to storms and floods. The population affected is over 1.36 million.
The forecast for rain from the middle of this week in areas already devastated by storms once again puts the state's population on alert. In addition to the rain, there is a possibility of intense wind gusts over 100km/h. The National Meteorological Institute (Inmet, in Portuguese) also warns of risk of hail.
