More than 70 national and foreign organizations together issued a public statement in opposition to the proliferation of open-pit coal mining projects in Chile, citing their disastrous environmental consequences. One such mine is slated for the southern Riesco Island, in the Magallanes region.

“The intentions to develop large coal mines in Chile have resurged in recent years in conjunction with thermoelectric projects,” Lucio Cuenca, director of the Latin American Environmental Conflicts Observatory, one of the signatories, told Tierramérica.

“These initiatives are intended for development in areas that are very rich in biodiversity,” he added.

The organizations demand that work on the projects be suspended, and call for stricter legislation and implementation of limits for greenhouse gas emission from the coal-based electrical plants.