A landmark': Brazil's prosecutors hail court ruling to preserve Fordlandia

Fordlandia, a 1928 industrial city built by Henry Ford in the Amazon rainforest, has deteriorated after decades of neglect. Federal prosecutors celebrated a court decision that mandates preservation of the site and addresses gaps in cultural protection. The ruling follows decades of advocacy by historians, activists, and residents, along with administrative efforts since the 1990s to decide the site’s fate. Prosecutors argued government inertia has increased conservation risk. The decision requires the federal government, the state of Pará, the local government in Aveiro, and IPHAN to coordinate actions to protect the property in advanced decay. Some hope restoration can support local tourism in Pará.

"Federal prosecutors in Brazil have celebrated a court decision mandating the preservation of Fordlandia, a 1928 city built by the United States industrialist Henry Ford in the middle of the Amazon rainforest. The court ruling was the result of decades of advocacy, as historians, activists and residents pushed for the crumbling site to be protected."

"In a statement on Friday, the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office called the court ruling a landmark decision that will rectify a gap in Brazil's cultural preservation efforts. The complex has suffered from neglect for decades, the office wrote. The ruling acknowledges the arguments presented by the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office in the case, highlighting the historical omission by public authorities."

"The decision requires the federal government, the state of Para, the local government in Aveiro and the National Institute of Historical and Artistic Heritage (IPHAN) to collaborate to protect the site. They must all act together to save the property, which is in an advanced state of decay, the prosecutor's office said."

"Since the 1990s, an administrative process has been under way to determine whether Fordlandia should be preserved. But prosecutors on both the federal and state level have pointed out that the inertia of the government towards the site has put its conservation at risk. In Friday's statement, the federal office argued that Fordlandia's historical significance is clear."

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