A federal court in Rio de Janeiro has denied an appeal to build a zip-line at the Pão de Açúcar tourist site [1].
The ruling preserves the environmental and historical integrity of one of Brazil's most iconic landmarks. The decision prevents further commercial development that the court determined would compromise heritage protection rules [3].
Desembargador Luiz Norton Baptista de Mattos of the TRF-2 signed the decision on Thursday, July 30, 2024 [1]. The court maintained the prohibition on the project and annulled the license previously granted to the Companhia Caminho Aéreo Pão de Açúcar [2].
According to the court, the company proceeded with the project without a valid license after construction had already been halted in March 2024 [1, 3]. The project was found to be in violation of specific environmental and heritage protection regulations [3].
Legal documents indicate a fine of R$ 30 million has been imposed on the company and Iphan [4]. This penalty follows the determination that the development was unauthorized and posed a risk to the site's protected status [4].
The company had sought to overturn the previous suspension of works, but the court found the arguments insufficient to override the protection of the natural landscape [2].
“The court found that the zip-line project violated environmental and heritage protection rules.”
This ruling underscores the legal priority of environmental and heritage conservation over tourism expansion in Brazil's protected zones. By upholding the ban and imposing a significant fine, the court is signaling that administrative licenses are insufficient if they conflict with broader heritage protection mandates, potentially setting a precedent for other landmark sites in Rio de Janeiro.
