In response to a serious contamination incident at Minera Los Pelambres (Antofagasta) on July 16th, over 100 inhabitants of Cuncumén, a small community in the municipality of Salamanca in North-Central Chile, protested by blocking the entrance to the mining operation. A cloud of toxic dust from the mine’s tailings waste blew over the community. This is not the first time such an incident has taken place, and the community demands to meet with company management as well as for the company to hire medical professionals to analyse the effects of this toxic dust on the community.
(You can read the full, original article in Spanish, from which this information is gathered, at CuartoValle.cl)
Update: As of July 20th, inhabitants of Cuncumén continue their protest outside Minera Los Pelambres, and now have denounced an act of police violence by the Special Forces of the Carabineros against a member of the community.
(You can read the full, original article in Spanish, from which this information gathered at Cooperativa.cl)