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dam-l LS: First Meeting Between Pehuenches and Enersis
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CHIP NEWS
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Date: July 19, 1999
Subject: First Meeting Between Pehuenches and Enersis Sources: El Mercurio, La Tercera
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FIRST MEETING BETWEEN PEHUENCHES
AND ENERSIS
For the first time in the ongoing conflict over the construction of the hydroelectric Ralco dam in southern Region VIII, indigenous leaders of the upper Bio Bio area have agreed to speak to a top executive of energy-sector holding company Enersis, which is building the dam through its affiliate, power firm Endesa.
Some 91 indigenous Pehuenche families have been
protesting the construction of the Ralco dam, which would
flood 3,467 hectares of land where they live. Pehuenche
leaders Berta and Nicholasa Quintraman agreed Friday to
meet with Endesa Planning Manager Martin Madrid July 27, though this date is still to be confirmed.
Nicholasa Quitraman said the intention of the meeting would be to discuss the company's offer of alternative land for the relocation of the families. She said, "we won't leave our mother land as long as we live." Until now the National
Indigenous Development Commission said 70 families have agreed to the relocation sites. However, Pehuenches
protesting the construction of the dam said only 18 families
had agreed to the terms.
Spanish energy giant Endesa Espana, owners of the project through their affiliate Enersis, maintained it had agreed with 292 families, directly or indirectly affected by the project, to invest US$22 million in a relocation plan.
*Chip News*
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Monti Aguirre
Latin American Campaigns
International Rivers Network
1847 Berkeley Way
Berkeley, CA. 94703 USA
Phone: 510 . 848.11.55 and 707 . 591 .91.49
Fax: 510 . 848.10.08
e-mail: monti @irn.org
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