Lawmakers, led by socialists Daniel Manouchehri, Daniella Cicardini, Daniel Melo and Leonardo Soto, among others, asked Uriarte to examine the background of this initiative in detail.
The project, valued at nearly two thousand five hundred million dollars, in the district of La Higuera envisages the construction of a processing plant for the extraction of iron and copper, which will be connected by underground pipelines to a shipping terminal on the edge of the coast of the Coquimbo region.
“The Chilean state must commit to protecting this unique ecosystem in the world, especially with regard to future generations in the context of the climate crisis,” Melo said.
For Nathalie Castillo, a Communist Party MP from the Coquimbo region, approving the project would be a step backwards and a blow not only to the communities but also to the Escazú environmental agreement signed less than a year ago.
Conservationists reiterate that the Dominga deposit would seriously damage the ecosystems in this area of enormous biodiversity, which is home to animals such as whales, penguins, guanacos, parrots, guayakans and other species.
“We’ve been fighting this fight for more than 10 years, so we will continue to take legal, administrative and civic action against this project,” said Environmental Defense Movement spokesman Carolina Bahamondes.
However, in the municipality of La Higuera there are residents and authorities such as Mayor Yerko Galleguillos who support the initiative and believe it will bring development, jobs and other benefits to the region.
The controversial project, which is expected to be analyzed by the Committee of Ministers next Wednesday, has been pending for 10 years and was first rejected in 2017 during President Michelle Bachelet’s second government.
ro/auto