A group of seven Pehuenche on Monday sent a notarized letter to the National Indigenous Development Agency (Conadi) saying they will not abandon their land for the construction of the Ralco hydroelectric project, and that their decision is final and irreversible. CHIP News for May 20, 1998
- Subject: CHIP News for May 20, 1998
- SOURCE: EL MERCURIO
- SOURCE: LA TERCERA
- PEHUENCHE WILL NOT BACK DOWN ON RALCO.
- A group of seven Pehuenche on Monday sent a notarized letter to the
- National Indigenous Development Agency (Conadi) saying they
- will not abandon their land for the construction of the Ralco
- hydroelectric project, and that their decision is final and
- irreversible.
- Ralco, owned by Endesa, would be the biggest dam in Chile,
- with an output of 520 MW. Its construction on the upper Bio Bio
- River in southern Chile would require the relocation of some 98
- families, but needs Conadi's approval to do so. Pending approval,
- the dam is set to begin operations in 2002.
- Sources at Endesa say neither Conadi nor members of the 98
- families have communicated their intention to stay on the land.
- However, Conadi Director Domingo Namuncura said the entity has
- already sent two letters to Endesa with the signatures of the
- families who are refusing to leave.
- Conadi to date has received 83 land transfer requests from
- these families, and is currently interviewing the families case by
- case, assuring that all paperwork is in line with Indigenous Law
- 19,253. Namuncura said Conadi considers all the land transfer
- paperwork null and void because Endesa deceived families to get
- them to sign. Endesa says the land transfer signing process was
- transparent and informed.
- Deputy Alejandro Navarro, a member of the Chamber of
- Deputies' "green faction" who is working in the defense of these
- Pehuenche families, said Endesa will try to argue that the Electric
- Law, by protecting projects like Ralco, which will benefit the
- country, takes precedence over the Indigenous Law.
