Boticas, Portugal, Aug. 5, 2026 (Lusa) - Between 700 and 800 people are expected to take part in the "Camp in Defence of Barroso" event which will feature cultural activities and a street march against lithium mining, running from Thursday to Monday in Covas do Barroso, in northern Portugal.
«The aim is to raise awareness of our struggle, to bring people here to Barroso – people from all over, people who are willing to support and help in our struggle,» Nélson Gomes, from the association Unidos em Defesa de Covas do Barroso (UDCB) [united in defence of Covas do Barroso], told the Lusa news agency on Wednesday.
The sixth edition of the camp, which is taking place in the village in the north of the region of Vila Real, runs from Thursday to Monday and, according to Nélson Gomes, «between 700 and 800 participants from Portugal and abroad» are expected.
He pointed out that registration had to close early due to the number of people interested in taking part in the event, which aims to raise awareness of the struggle of those opposed to lithium mining in this area.
«This shows that we are doing a good job, that we are in the right, and that we cannot continue to sacrifice these communities and these areas when we can see that, ultimately, the country stands to gain nothing from this project, from this mining operation,» he said.
Savannah Resources expects construction of the Barroso mine to begin in 2027; the project was granted a conditional favourable Environmental Impact Statement in 2023.
In July, the company announced that it had completed the Definitive Feasibility Study for the lithium mine, which confirms an initial lifespan of 14 years for the project and a probable reserve of 20 million tonnes of ore, forecasting production of approximately 2.56 million tonnes of spodumene concentrate during this period – enough raw material for more than seven million electric vehicle batteries.
The project is opposed by local residents, local councillors and environmentalists.
«What has long been promised – that the value chain would remain in Portugal, that we would have refineries, that we would have battery factories and everything else – but what we see are projects, such as the Estarreja lithium refinery, which was abandoned because they realised that this is not profitable and makes no sense,» said the president of the UDCB.
Recently, the Expresso newspaper reported that the Melo Group had decided not to proceed with the industrial investment in a lithium refinery in Estarreja, a project for which it had planned an investment of €492 million.
Over the course of the five days, discussions will take place in Covas do Barroso on topics ranging from the struggles in Barroso and internationally against mining, to the energy transition and mining.
The programme also includes workshops, shows, concerts, film screenings, field trips and nature walks, and on Saturday afternoon, as happens every year, there will be a street march through the village's streets in protest against the mine.
«We are protesting in the place where we live, and I think the protest should be here because this is where things are happening. This is where we want to get our message across, and this is where we want people to come and see for themselves, so they can really understand what is going on,» emphasised Nélson Gomes.
PLI/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
