Chile: Reject "donation" from mining transnational

The problem of the glaciers caught the attention of scientists, environmentalists, personalities and politicians from around the world.

The Catholic sisters of the good Samaritan rejected the "donation" of the mining company Barrick Gold Corp., for the construction of a House of refuge in Vallenar. This sudden generosity of the multinational company is pure advertising that has been reported in Chile, as another attempt to divide the communities that are being affected by the Pascua Lama mining project since 2000.

The Canadian Barrick Gold Corp. It is an international company of gold mines and development projects in the United States, Peru, Tanzania, Chile, Argentina and Canada.

The Pascua Lama project is the first project of binational megaminería on the planet to extract gold, silver, copper and other metals from difficult assessment. It is located in the cordillera de los Andes, at the boundary of Argentina and Chile. The territory already belongs to the transnational Barrick Gold Corp., the Treaty of integration and complementation mining, signed by Presidents Eduardo Frei and Carlos Menem for the year 2000. The Treaty ordered the sovereignty of both countries is reduced in favour of transnational, i.e., between Chile and Argentina, there is another area: the "Barrick Gold territory".

Known the mega project found that the environmental impact study denied the existence of glaciers, while the ore deposit is located under three glaciers give water to the Huasco River and were not mentioned. And the presence of glaciers is what ensures the permanent flow of the Huasco River and its tributaries.


before this situation the authorities, working in favour of the company, asked a Management Plan, glaciers. And without greater formality or shame the project was  approved. Other transnational proposed something like this in Peru: move four lagoons to make way for the project of the US company Newmont Conga.

But, to not having everything in its favour Barrick Gold develops your image wash. Therefore it hosts "Commitment Atacama", "Telethon", "A roof for Chile", "América Solidaria", and gives notebooks to children in schools, ambulances to hospitals, finances traditional fiestas, grants, refacciona schools, clubs, etc. for the acceptance of their pollutant project and said it was to "help the development of the region".