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dam-l LS: Now: Your support/word/care is important
"We got together to organize so we would not be forced to abandon our
lands. We never want to leave our lands." Rosario Huentiao from Mapu
Domuche Nehuen ("Women with the Strength of the Earth", a group of women
who would be affected by Ralco dam.)
URGENT ACTION
July 22, 1999
Dear Friends:
Please support the Pehuenche indigenous peoples rights to preserve their
land and culture. They are currently fighting construction of the 570MW,
US$500mn Ralco Dam on the Biobo River in Chile. Eight families continue to
refuse negotiating their land exchanges with Endesa, and wish to remain on
their lands.
Endesa Spain executives will meet indigenous and environmental leaders on
July 27 to discuss the construction of the dam. We are concerned tha dam
officilas will not respect the Pehuenches' rights and will try to coerce
the eight remaining families to accept compensation and move from their
lands for the project.
We ask that you write a support letter asking Endesa officials to respect
the Pehuenches' rights.
If you can write it by July 27 that would be great, if not still your
letters are needed.
Thank you,
Monti Aguirre
International Rivers Network
***
SAMPLE LETTER:
Date
*Mr. Martn Villa,
President
ENDESA España
Madrid, España
Fax: +34-91- 563 81 81
and
*Mr. Pablo Yrarrzabal
General Manager
ENDESA España
Santiago, Chile
Fax: +56-2-635-3788
Dear Mr. Villa and Mr. Yrarrázabal:
I am writing to express my full support for the Pehuenche families who
refuse to give away their lands, and oppose the construction of Ralco and
other dams on the Biobio River in Chile. I urge you to listen to the
Pehuenche and respect their position and their right to their land and
culture.
Several international commissions and tribunals have seriously questioned
the way in which Endesa Chile has proceeded with the construction for the
Ralco dam on the Biobio, including the International Finance Corporation
of the World Bank (Hair, July 1977) and the Human Rights Committee of the
American Anthropological Association (March 1998).
I also urge you to revise and update the studies done by the Chilean
Energy Commission which indicate that the energy expected to be provided
by Ralco could be obtained through a mix of natural gas, conservation, and
energy efficiency.
I am in full solidarity with the Pehuenche who wish to remain in their
lands, and urge you to stop construction of the Ralco Dam.
Sincerely,
*****
BACKGROUND:
Ralco, a 570 MW - 155 meters (510 feet) high dam is one of five dams
planned to be built in the Upper Biobo River, Chile. The Ralco project
will cost US$500 million, and will create a 13 square mile (3,400
hectares) reservoir.
The dam and its reservoir will:
- Force a total of 600 people from their homes.
- Displace 400 Pehuenche indigenous people whose ancestral home is the
upper Biobo.
- Significantly contribute to the deterioration of the traditional
Pehuenche culture (in all, the five dams planned for the Biobo River would
force the relocation of 1,000 Pehuenches, 20% of the survivors of this
ancient culture).
The dam and its reservoir will:
-Drown 3,400 hectares of native forest. These forests contain the rare
araucaria tree, which is central to the cultural and physical survival of
the Pehuenche.
-Threaten 27 species of mammals, 10 species of amphibians, 9 species of
reptiles and 8 species of fish (E.G., Andean fox, puma, southern sea
otter, black-necked swan, peregrine falcon and the national bird of Chile,
the Andean Condor).
-Increase access to logging (new roads have already led to an 8% increase
in logging per year in the region
-Subject 1,400 hectares of denuded reservoir banks to erosion and
landslides.
The Biobo, Chile's second longest river, is 240 miles long. On its way
from the Andes to the Pacific, the Biobo flows over 100-foot high
waterfall, down narrow canyons, and through forests of araucaria pine and
Andean cypress. The river has long been a mecca for whitewater rafters.
The upper Biobo is the spiritual and physical home to the Pehuenches who
have largely retained their ancestral culture.
Empresa Nacional de Electricidad, S.A. (ENDESA), Chile's private electric
utility and the project company, controls 60% of Chile's electric power
production. A subsidiary of Endesa, Pangue S.A. built the first dam on the
Biobo River, called Pangue Dam. Endesa Chile did not fulfill the
environmental and social obligations of its loan agreement with the
International Finance Corporation (IFC) for the Pangue project, and
colluded with IFC in the cover-up of two reports highly critical of their
role in the project. The Committee for Human Rights of the American
Anthropological Association has called on the Chilean Government to stop
the forcible resettlement of the Pehuenche and the construction of the
Ralco Dam.
Alternatives: Studies by Chile's Energy Commission and other prestigious
international organizations indicate that the energy expected to be
provided by Ralco could be obtained through a mix of natural gas,
conservation, and energy efficiency.
Spanish giant Endesa España now owns 60 percent of Endesa Chile.
****
Please send a copy of your letter to:
monti@irn.org and gabb@reuna.cl
***
For more information write to:
Monti Aguirre
International Rivers Network
e-mail: monti@irn.org
phone (510) 848-1155
fax (510) 848-1008
Thank You.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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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