Ecobreves – CHILE: New Actions Planned Against Mine Tailings Deposit

By IPS Correspondents and - - Reprint | | Print |

SANTIAGO, Jan 10 2011 (IPS) - Residents of the northern Chilean community of Caimanes are planning new actions to fight for the closure of the mine tailings deposit operated by the Chilean-Japanese mining company Los Pelambres. They announced their intentions after a hunger strike waged by 11 community members was ended on 17 December, after 81 days.

The deposit is located eight kilometers from Caimanes, which is home to 450 families, or around 1,600 people, in the northern region of Coquimbo. “We have filed six suits against the mining company for fraud and for maintaining a dangerous structure, among other crimes, and now we will be lodging a new complaint, because they are occupying our land,” community spokesman Cristian Flores told Tierramérica.

All of the communities affected by the mine tailings deposit plan to meet during the first half of January. “We don’t want to negotiate with the mining company anymore. We just want them to leave,” added Flores.