Conama and Endesa appeal Ralco ruling

September 14, 1999

The National Environment Commission, Conama, and power company Endesa appealed last week's court ruling that halted construction on the Ralco hydroelectric generating station in Region VIII. The ruling made by the sixth Santiago civil court followed a lawsuit brought against Spanish-controlled Endesa by the indigenous Pehuenche Quintreman sisters in June 1997. The sisters are among seven indigenous families protesting the construction of the dam which would flood their ancestral homeland. Conama previously approved an environmental impact study to allow the US$500-million Ralco project to go ahead.

Last week's ruling, which said Endesa had contravened an earlier decision allowing the company to proceed only with temporary work on Ralco until the land disputes were resolved, was criticized Monday by Interior Minister Raul Troncoso, who called for construction at the site to resume.

Following the comments seven indigenous Pehuenche families made an official complaint about the minister to President Eduardo Frei. Pehuenche Chief Antolin Curriao said Troncoso's declarations "make it clear the government has a partial position on the issue."The Mapuche/Pehuenche have accused the government of interfering with decisions taken by supposedly independent state organizations, namely Conama and the Indigenous Development Council. Eleven percent of construction work on the 570 MW dam project, which was due to be operational by 2002, has already been completed. In the appeal, the courts will have to decide whether the indigenous law or the electricity law takes precedence in the dispute.

Source: El Mercurio, La Tercera

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