In Chile Too…

Chilean mining companies are poised to completely destroy two glaciers, and create holes the size of mountains, in order to get to the gold and silver at the bottom.

From a friend…

In the Valle de San Felix, the purest water in Chile runs from 2 rivers,fed by 2 glaciers. Water is a most precious resource, and wars will be fought for it. Indigenous farmers use the water, there is no unemployment, and they provide the second largest source of income for the area. Under the glaciers has been found a huge deposit of gold, silver and other minerals. To get at these, it would be necessary to break, to destroy the glaciers – something never conceived of in the history of the world – and to make 2 huge holes, each as big as a whole mountain, one for extraction and one for the mine’s rubbish tip.

The project is called PASCUA LAMA. The company is called Barrick Gold. The operation is planned by a multi-national company, one of whose members is George Bush Senior.

The Chilean Government has approved the project to start this year, 2006.

I wasnt doubtful, but very skeptical as to its validity, as the tone is quite sensationalist.

Sadly, but not unsuprisingly, its a true story. There are even squabbles over indigenous land, fake science, phony public hearings…the works.

Now, I understand that this is in Chile (a beautiful beautiful country, filled with the sweetest people I’ve met this side of Buckhannon)…
Plus its got these… …

BUt I think that its very relevant to note and worth paying attention to for Appalachian highlanders.

Notice the blinding greed which leads people to destroy our most valued homeland. They are exploiting their own people in resources for frivolous commodoties, and to help a few wealthy individuals pack their own pockets.

And…this is the same way they treat the Appalachian people and the Appalachian mountains

…

The only reason it hasn’t started yet is because the farmers have got a temporary stay of execution.If they destroy the glaciers, they will not just destroy the source of especially pure water, but they will permanently contaminate the 2 rivers so they will never again be fit for human or animal consumption because of the use of cyanide and sulphuric acid in the extraction process.

Every last gram of gold will go abroad to the multinational company and not one will be left with the people whose land it is. They will only be left with the poisoned water and the resulting illnesses.
The farmers have been fighting a long time for their land, but have been forbidden to make a TV appeal by a ban from the Ministry of the Interior. Their only hope now of putting brakes on this project is to get help from international justice. The world must know what is happening in Chile.

About JW Randolph

Raised on the banks of the Tennessee River, JW's work to create progress in his home state and throughout Appalachia has been featured on the Rachel Maddow Show, The Daily Kos and Grist. He served first as Appalachian Voices’ Legislative Associate and then Tennessee director until leaving to pursue a career in medicine in 2012.