Anglo American is one of the largest mining companies in the world. In Chile, it has mining operations in three regions of the country: Los Bronces in Lo Barnechea, the Metropolitan region, El Soldado in El Melón in the Valparaíso region, and Collahuasi in the Tarapacá region. (1)
The mining operation of the Anglo American multinational’s El Soldado mine has generated an environmental sacrifice zone in the Nogales district, in the Valparaíso Region. The community is currently concerned about alleged cracks in the El Torito tailings dam. The community are distrustful and remain mobilised, demanding compensation, not simply commitments, by the transnational. (2)
Recently, the community affected by the El Soldado project has been in constant mobilisation (3). The decision to approve the project will be decided soon and the community calls for rejecting the new Anglo American project in the region so as not to continue amplifying the impact.
Please read and support the public statement from the No+Anglo Chilean movement.
PUBLIC STATEMENT, TO THE COMMUNITY, REGIONAL AND NATIONAL AUTHORITIES:
NO MORE SACRIFICE ZONE: Against the Project “Operational Continuity Phase V El Soldado of Anglo American”.
Aconcagua, July 2022.
“NO + ANGLO” Chilean national movement and the other socio-environmental Movements that sign this letter, we strongly reject the recommendation made by the Valparaíso Region Environmental Assessment Service to approve the Environmental Impact Statement for the AngloAmerican project called “Continuity of Operations Phase V El Soldado.
We believe in the ability of the authorities to make decisions in accordance with the wishes of our society and we understand that it is necessary to exercise our citizenship and defend the environment of the territories in which we live. In this sense, we request the pertinent authorities, in charge of evaluating the aforementioned project, that before voting and deciding its approval or rejection, they investigate the history of non-compliance with the environmental qualification resolutions that the El Soldado mining operation has, which include violations of environmental and mining legislation, contamination of aquifers, atmospheric pollution, interventionism in the communities neighbouring its operation, destruction of ecosystems and protected natural heritage -such as Bellotos del Norte, a tree declared a Natural Monument-, damage to ecosystems and biodiversity, in addition to serious failures in the safety of its “El Torito” tailings dam, among many other facts that determine the negative intervention carried out by Anglo American in the town of El Melón, commune of Nogales, also directly affecting to the neighbouring communities.
Likewise, we demand that the authorities be aware of and stop all kinds of destructive projects, in which lies the origin of the current climate crisis, which promote the perpetuation of the development of the extractivist model, the destruction of ecosystems and the deepening of sacrifice zones. We denounce the insensitivity of State agencies towards those of us who do not have the resources to carry out the necessary studies and be able to defend ourselves on equal terms against the economic and coercive power that Angloamerican Sur S.A. possesses, in this case.
For all of the above, we summon all local, regional and national authorities, parliamentarians and project evaluators, but especially those of each of the communes that are currently directly or indirectly affected by the actions of this transnational mega-mining: Nogales, Hijuelas, Catemu, Llayllay, Panquehue, San Felipe, Putaendo, Calle Larga, Rinconada, Santa María and Los Andes; It is imperative to conscientiously decide the future of our localities. The defense of the environment must continue to unfold throughout the territories, with the conviction of confronting the greed of the business community that not only destroys ecosystems in its extractivist eagerness, but also does not hesitate to exterminate the socio-environmental fabric, appropriates heritage, local culture and identity of the communities, such as through organizations such as the Procultura Foundation, which receives direct financing from ecocidal companies, whitewashing its image and violating the right to environmental justice, cultural citizenship, and self-determination of communities.
- Territorios democráticos
- Red Parque Cabritería de Valparaíso
- Corporación Camino a Farellones
- Modatima Lo Barnechea
- Junta de vecinos b13 Las Varas de Lo Barnechea
- Asociación Escuela de Montaña Camino a Farellones
- Catemu en Movimiento
- Llayllay Manifiesta
- Organización Ojos de Mar
- Radio La voz de Paine
- Agrupación Socioambiental PH Comuna Verde
- Fundación Ecosur
- Junta de vecibos Garrido de Lo Barnechea
- Gran Barnechea
- Plantemos Nativo ONG
- Chile ambiental
- London Mining Network
- FIMA
- ONG Poyewn
- Observatorio Latinoamericano de Conflictos Ambientales, OLCA
- Acción Ciudadana por la Defensa del Agua, ACDA
- Fundación Cerros Resilientes
- Movimiento Socio Ambiental Putraintu
- CAC Paine apañamos
- Grupo Ambientalista El Melón
- Somos Cuencas y Bestias del Sur Salvaje
- Comité Ambiental Comunal de San José de Maipo
- Modatima Nacional
- Modatima Valparaíso
- Guardianxs del Akunkawa .
- Guardianes del Ciprés.
- Agrupacion Ambiental Aconcagua.
- Eco Rinconada.
- Wuanaku Akunkawa.
- No +Anglo American Akunkawa.
- Mesa Hídrica Comunitaria de Quillota .
- Mujeres y Ríos Libres .
- Red Humedales de Quillota.
- Parque Andino Juncal.
- Fundación Pongo
- Comité Ambiental Comunal Tucapel.
- Comité Ambiental Comunal de San José de Maipo.
- Baile Chino Aconcagua Salmón
- Quicalcura Multiespacio
- Red Plurinacional de Humedales
- https://londonminingnetwork.org/2020/12/anglo-americans-impact-in-chile/
- https://resumen.cl/articulos/comunidad-de-el-melon-acusa-riesgo-de-colapso-de-tranque-de-relaves-y-bloquea-acceso-a-mina-el-soldado-de-anglo-american
- https://londonminingnetwork.org/2022/06/anglo-american-faces-its-worst-days-in-chile/