The Patagonia, a geographic region in the southernmost part of South America, is one of the most pristine places on Earth. Wild, vast and rich in its unique attributes and biodiversity, it is one of the last unspoiled natural treasures on this planet. The Chilean government, throughout the history of the country, never actually worried to populate a location which was so remote from the physical and administrative centers (1,6% of the total population of the country live in the two southest regions, a territory which comprises nearly 21% of the entire continental part of the country [1], [2]). As it follows, this particular patch of land is virtually untouched by the hand of modern man, not to mention that the people there live a much simpler lifestyle compared with their fellow countrymen in the more industrialized central part of the country.

Part of this rich territory of unlimited value, namely the rivers Pascua and Baker, are now targeted for the construction of an undetermined (as of now) number of major dams, in a project known as "HidroAysen." This will inundate a total of 5910 ha (14597 acres) of land, including other major changes that will be made to the area. For what, you say? To face the ever increasing demand of the country's inhabitants for electrical power in a territory growing in consumption? Not that it would easily justify it, but no...the major recipients of the electrical power generated by this project will be the copper mines located in the central part of the country and run, at least two thirds of them, by transnational corporations. Meaning, not administered, and barely controlled by the local government, digging precious resources for the benefit not of the Chilean people, but for the ever-increasing pockets of foreign lobbies which adhere to no particular nationality. Not to mention, said transnationals don't pay taxes to our government, practically taking the copper out of this country for nothing. If there's ever a more obvious example of how monetary interests hold a tight grip over a society paralized by its incompetence, I'd like to hear about it.

That is not all. The physical distance between the projected dams and the copper mines mean the necessity to build a huge number of high tension towers (five thousand) for a total lenght of 2300 kms (1429 miles aprox.), in order to transport the generated electricity to its destination. The aforementioned construction would mean the cutting of several square miles of trees, impacting protected national parks and indigenous reservoirs for a great length of the country, and damaging the landscape in a way that has never been seen in the history of this country, and still very considerable when comparing to the world at large.

And that is still not all. The irreversible damage made to the wildlife would disturb the natural equilibrium of the zone for generations to come. Additionally, these plans would ruin the local economies of the few people living in the region, who for years have managed to make relatively secure incomes through agriculture, tourism and other activities. The HidroAysen project will give them virtually nothing in return (remember, the electricity is for the northern-central part of the country, not for the people in the area). Among the thousands of animal and plant species that currently inhabit the Patagonia (some of them still unknown) is the Huemul, currently an endangered specie and part of our National Emblem.

Many national and international organizations, as well as people working on their own, have taking conscience of the problem and are hurrying to work out a solution for it. Many of them have correctly pointed out the possibilities our long and climate-varied country offer for alternative sources of energy, including thermic and eolic. And, rightly so, point the government to these solutions as alternatives to the project which currently menaces the Patagonia.

However, as good as their intentions undoubtedly are, they are missing an important point: namely, the real focus of our national authorities. They may know or not about all of these alternative energy sources, what matters is that they will never even consider them. People in the Region of Aysen have been protesting ever since they knew their landscape would be raped by HidroAysen. They are barely listened to by the local and central authorities. This country has the richest production of copper in the world, and we give it away for nothing, practically. Chile hasn't tried to nationalize its copper for more than thirty years, at the relentless push of the international lobbies.

What does this tell you? Well, what everybody with a realist world view knows, and what everyone else tries their best to deny: our democratically elected leaders are completely and utterly unreliable in the face of international economical interests. Not just because of their sheer incompetence, but also because of their open willingness to surrender to said interests. I want each and every activist reading this and who is (rightfully) disgusted at the whole situation, to carefully consider this. Modern society is on the side of the political manipulators and the financial lobby interests--not those of the people and of our ecology.

The solution, therefore, does not lie in surrending to the good will of the authorities. Their public "good will" is completely irrelevant in the face of the tremendous power the transnationals hold and which mercilessly crush the governmental authorities, as well as the people, who are utterly fed up with the current government, but naively think that liberal democracy is still the best choice because is the only one available to the general public.

The chilean people need to realize they've been tricked from day one to believe in both a system and a lifestyle that isn't satisfying in the long run and which threaten to annihilate the fabric of our society for the financial gain of a minority. What to do, then? One effective way to counteract this is spreading awareness of it through the community. Most people get their information from the TV. Watch the local news in the presence of other people, try to offer a different point of view and encourage debate. Don't get pessimistic if things don't change immediately for the better. Remember that most changes start very small and then spread throughout the community until they influence the whole of the local society.

As for you, the people living in the chilean Patagonia, I can only say: keep up the fight and don't let yourselves be beaten, as there's a great number of people in your country and the world that believes in you, supports you and will do what is necessary to keep alive one of the last places really worth living in--your home.

Related links

Patagonia sin represas (In Spanish)

Aisen, Reserva de Vida (In Spanish, with some breathtaking images)

Patagonia Dams - Horseback Protest in Chile (In English - a great article about the subject)

Patagonia News - Chile Govt backs Patagonia Dam Project Again (Another article in English)

Felipe Serra is a Corrupt volunteer living in Chile. Today he is involved with the protection of the Patagonia, one of the world's most beautiful and interesting places left on this planet. Visit his blog here (in Spanish)