A siren will sound on Paulista for Brumadinho: 7 years

At 12:28 p.m., a siren will sound on Paulista to remember Brumadinho and demand justice, seven years after 272 people were killed.

The Ato pela Memória (Act for Memory) takes place on January 25, 2026, at Avenida Paulista and Rua Augusta in São Paulo. Organized by the Camila e Luiz Taliberti Institute, the gathering marks seven years since the collapse of the Córrego do Feijão mine tailings dam in Brumadinho, Minas Gerais—bringing culture, environmental education, and civic action into one of Brazil’s most visible public spaces.

Held annually on the disaster’s anniversary, the event aims to keep the memory of the 272 victims alive while calling out the lack of definitive accountability. It also reframes the conversation as an urban issue, linking mining impacts and dam safety to life far beyond the mining regions.

“Brumadinho is not only a tragedy in Minas Gerais. It actually concerns all of us,” says Helena Taliberti, founder of the Camila e Luiz Taliberti Institute and mother of Camila and Luiz Taliberti, who were among the victims.

A siren at 12:28 and activities on Paulista

The central moment of the Ato pela Memória comes at 12:28 p.m., the exact time the dam failed in 2019. The siren—an enduring symbol of the tragedy because it did not sound that day—will be activated as a public act of remembrance and protest. A speech by Helena Taliberti follows.

Throughout the morning, the program includes activities for children and the general public, such as planting seedlings, workshops using natural pigments, and environmental awareness actions. Attendees can also visit a tent featuring cultural programming and an art display focused on memory, socio-environmental justice, and the consequences of mining.

Another highlight is the Pedal pela Vida (Ride for Life), a symbolic bicycle action along Avenida Paulista in defense of life and in honor of the victims. Organizers scheduled the gathering at noon and the ride’s departure at 1 p.m., starting and ending at Paulista and Rua Augusta.

An in-person petition will also circulate during the event. Organizers say it has collected around 130,000 signatures calling for justice and against impunity.

Before the rally: theater in the “Month of Memory”

Ahead of the Paulista gathering, the Mês da Memória (Month of Memory) includes performances of the play “Ganga” on January 23 and 24, followed by a conversation with the director. The activity is supported by AVABRUM—the Association of Families of Victims and Those Affected by the Brumadinho dam collapse—through the Legado Brumadinho project, which helps make the event possible.

Brumadinho: 272 deaths, lasting damage

On January 25, 2019, the collapse of Vale’s Córrego do Feijão tailings dam killed 272 people—workers, residents, and tourists—and devastated nearby communities. Mining waste polluted the Paraopeba River and triggered environmental, social, and economic harm that families and civil society groups say continues today.

Seven years on, Brumadinho remains a powerful reference point in Brazil’s fight for socio-environmental justice and structural changes in dam safety policy and mining practices. For organizers, marking the exact minute of the collapse is a way to ensure the victims are not forgotten.

Schedule

10 a.m. – 12 p.m. – Children’s activity with Luciana Cruz | Collective painting on unbleached cotton fabric using earth/clay pigments, poetic sensitization on cotton scraps, and planting seedlings

12 p.m. – Pedal pela Vida gathering

12:28 p.m. – Siren

12:30 p.m. – Speeches (Helena Taliberti and Renata Falzoni – to be confirmed)

1 p.m. – Pedal pela Vida departure (route along Avenida Paulista, starting and ending at Paulista and Rua Augusta)

2 p.m. – Forró das Minas show – forró and Brazilian music performed by women

3:30 p.m. – Closing

Service

Ato pela Memória (Act for Memory)

Date: January 25, 2026

Time: From 10 a.m.

Location: Avenida Paulista (corner with Rua Augusta), São Paulo

Foto: Divulgação