Island that welcomed Macron in Brazil faces lack of basic services

By Fabyo Cruz – From Cenarium

BELÉM (PA) – There is no school transportation, electricity is unstable, potable water does not reach all homes, and healthcare services are precarious. This is the reality for residents of Combu Island, located just ten minutes from Belém (PA), which gained international attention in 2024 when it was visited by French President Emmanuel Macron at the invitation of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

“The problems here are countless,” summarizes Valcleane Sá, a board member of the Association of Riverside Women of Igarapé Combu (Amric). According to her, one of the most serious issues is the halt of school transportation, which is carried out by boats serving the Pará State Secretariat of Education (Seduc). “Our children who study in Belém have been unable to attend school for almost a month due to a lack of transportation. The boat operators are on strike because they haven’t been paid for five months,” she denounces.

According to Sá, the lack of transportation affects all five communities on the island. When contacted by the report, Seduc-PA stated that it “is in negotiations to regularize school transportation in the region as soon as possible.” The department did not provide a deadline for resuming services.

At the beginning of the year, according to the complainant, there was a promise that overdue payments would be settled and funds would be allocated for fuel purchases, but this did not happen. As a result, the boats went on strike. “Last year, there were four strikes, and nothing was resolved. This year, they provided fuel for two or three days, and since then, students have not been able to attend classes,” she says.

The impact goes beyond the suspension of services. The cost of commuting becomes unaffordable for many families trying to cover students’ transportation expenses. “The fare here is R$10 to Belém and R$10 to return. Some families have two children studying there. Imagine having to spend R$40 every day? It’s impossible. And here, they don’t accept half-fare discounts,” explains Valcleane Sá.

Uncertain Healthcare

The Combu community also faces difficulties in accessing public healthcare. The only medical facility depends on a boat to transport healthcare professionals, but the lack of fuel supply has compromised the service. “The facility serves about 3,200 people. It has been operating one day on, two days off, or three days on, two days off. This is our situation,” reports the Amric board member.

Valcleane Sá states that the healthcare unit serves all five communities on the island. According to her, after a new complaint, fuel was supplied, and services resumed, but she fears the discontinuation of services if the problem arises again. The boats are contracted by the Belém City Hall, which was also contacted by the report but did not respond to inquiries before the article’s publication.

Electricity and Potable Water

Another issue faced by residents is the lack of electricity. “This has always been a problem, but lately, it has gotten worse. Outages are frequent, almost daily, affecting not only businesses but the entire community,” says Valcleane Sá.

The utility company Equatorial Pará had committed to modernizing the electrical grid by replacing the single-phase system with a three-phase one, but residents do not know when the improvement will be completed. “They installed some poles, but we have no forecast for when they will start working. They don’t give us updates or hold meetings to inform us,” she criticizes.

When contacted by the report, the company stated that it “has an ongoing investment plan, including maintenance actions such as tree pruning and emergency services on Combu Island. Additionally, the distributor is in the final phase of modernizing the island’s electrical network, converting the current single-phase system into a three-phase one. Reclosers are also being installed, equipment that reduces the time needed to restore power in the event of unexpected outages.”

The company also stated that “modernization works will be completed by the end of March this year, at which point residents and business owners on the island will notice an improvement in service. The total investment in these structural works is around R$2.3 million.”

The potable water situation is also concerning. “Most families cannot afford to buy drinking water for cooking. So, they are forced to use river water for basic needs,” Valcleane denounces. “We are so close to Belém, yet so far away. This is our reality,” she laments.

In response to these complaints, a meeting has been scheduled for the 25th of this month at the Pará Legislative Assembly (Alepa) with state deputy Zeca Pirão (MDB), where the demands will be presented. Until then, residents continue facing daily challenges of life on the island.

Edited by Adrisa De Góes
Translated from Portuguese by Gustô Alves