Canadian mining company Belo Sun has changed the leadership of its operations in Brazil: Adriano Espeschit is stepping down as the company’s president in the country. In his place, CEO Clóvis Torres will serve as interim president.
The change comes less than a year after Espeschit was introduced to the market as the company’s key appointment for leading its relationship with regulatory bodies and local communities. At the time, his arrival was widely read by the mining sector as part of Belo Sun’s strategy to unblock the project at Volta Grande do Xingu.
The move also comes as Belo Sun works to convince investors that the project is moving forward. However, the project continues to be contested by Indigenous peoples, riverside communities, and civil society organizations, as well as by the Federal Public Ministry (MPF) in court.
Before joining Belo Sun, Espeschit served as president of Potássio do Brasil, a company seeking to extract potassium in an area claimed by the Mura people and currently under demarcation proceedings by FUNAI. Under his leadership, the project was the subject of complaints from Indigenous peoples and the MPF over alleged irregularities in the licensing process, violations of consultation protocols, co-optation, coercion, and threats against Indigenous people opposed to the project.
