On the UNESCO site, in the article "Launch of an Atlas on the retreat of the Andean glaciers and the decrease in glacial water", we read that this Atlas was launched by Unesco and the Norwegian foundation GRID-Arendal within the framework of the previous COP (COP24) in Poland. Here is an excerpt from the text posted online:
“If the retreat continues at the current rate, some low-lying glaciers in the tropical Andes could lose between 78 and 97% of their volume by the end of the century, depriving the populations of the region of part of their water resource. […]”*
*https://fr.unesco.org/news/lancement-dun-atlas-recul-glaciers-andins-diminution-eaux-glaciaires (accessed February 18, 2021)
In the newspaper Liberation, a column by Florian Bardou entitled "The Andes is one of the regions of the world where the ice is melting the fastest" begins like this:
“The retreat of mountain glaciers under the effect of climate change is a sad reality. Evidenced by the latest special report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on the links between the rise in Earth temperatures and the cryosphere released last week. In the Andes, whatever the latitudes and altitudes, the melting of the ice has accelerated over the past twenty years. In this Latin American mountain range, the loss is of the order of 23 gigatons per year, that is to say an annual thinning of the glaciers of 0.85 meters since the year 2000. Estimates presented in mid-September in a large study magnitude published in Nature Geoscience. […]”*
*https://www.liberation.fr/sciences/2019/09/27/les-andes-sont-l-une-des-regions-du-monde-ou-la-fonte-des-glaces-est-la -plus-Rapide_1753465 (accessed February 18, 2021)
Note that the young Swede Greta Thunberg, the "heroine" of the Madrid COP25 who fights for action against climate change and who refuses to take the plane for her travels, ** had crossed the Atlantic in sailboat to go to New York (to the Climate Action Summit organized at the United Nations Headquarters) and then to come to the COP25 which was initially to be held in the Chilean capital.
*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arturo_Merino_Benítez (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.lci.fr/international/ce-que-vous-ne-savez-peut-etre-pas-sur-le-voyage-en-voilier-de-greta-thunberg-2129767.html (accessed February 18, 2021)
*http://www.museoaeronautico.gob.cl/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://web.uchile.cl/vignette/revistaurbanismo/CDA/urb_completa/0,1313,ISID%253D691%2526IDG%253D2%2526ACT%253D0%2526PRT%253D20076,00.html (accessed February 18, 2021)
***https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parque_Bicentenario_ (Cerrillos) (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here is what we read on the internet about the Bicentennial Park which was to host the COP25:
“Cerrillos Bicentennial Park, also known as Bicentennial Park City or Bicentennial Portal, is an urban real estate project located in the municipality of Cerrillos […]. The project, carried out to commemorate the country's bicentenary in 2010, is one of the most ambitious currently underway in Chile. It has an area of 250 hectares located in the southwest sector of the capital, in the municipality of Cerrillos, […] in which for much of the twentieth century Los Cerrillos airport operated. […]” *
*https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parque_Bicentenario_ (Cerrillos) (accessed February 18, 2021)
*http://www.museoaeronautico.gob.cl/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://web.uchile.cl/vignette/revistaurbanismo/CDA/urb_completa/0,1313,ISID%253D691%2526IDG%253D2%2526ACT%253D0%2526PRT%253D20076,00.html (accessed February 18, 2021)
***https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parque_Bicentenario_ (Cerrillos) (accessed February 18, 2021)
*https://web.uchile.cl/vignette/revistaurbanismo/CDA/urb_completa/0,1313,ISID%253D691%2526IDG%253D2%2526ACT%253D0%2526PRT%253D20076,00.html (accessed February 18, 2021)
*https://web.uchile.cl/vignette/revistaurbanismo/CDA/urb_completa/0,1313,ISID%253D691%2526IDG%253D2%2526ACT%253D0%2526PRT%253D20076,00.html (accessed February 18, 2021)
On the internet we found an interview with the CEO of Veolia, Antoine Frérot. The interview is titled "[COP 25] Explaining that it is the end of the world to our children is false and negative." He “defends a slow pace but one certain to achieve its objectives.”**
*https://web.uchile.cl/vignette/revistaurbanismo/CDA/urb_completa/0,1313,ISID%253D691%2526IDG%253D2%2526ACT%253D0%2526PRT%253D20076,00.html (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.usinenouvelle.com/article/cop-25-expliquer-que-c-est-la-fin-du-monde-a-nos-enfants-est-faux-et-negatif-denonce- antoine-frerot.N908749 (accessed February 18, 2021)
*https://web.uchile.cl/vignette/revistaurbanismo/CDA/urb_completa/0,1313,ISID%253D691%2526IDG%253D2%2526ACT%253D0%2526PRT%253D20076,00.html (accessed February 18, 2021)
*https://web.uchile.cl/vignette/revistaurbanismo/CDA/urb_completa/0,1313,ISID%253D691%2526IDG%253D2%2526ACT%253D0%2526PRT%253D20076,00.html (accessed February 18, 2021)
*https://web.uchile.cl/vignette/revistaurbanismo/CDA/urb_completa/0,1313,ISID%253D691%2526IDG%253D2%2526ACT%253D0%2526PRT%253D20076,00.html (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here is the clip where we can see at the beginning a little more of the infrastructures planned for the COP:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InUUrVKhRNI (accessed February 18, 2021)
Note also that Greta Thunberg, who refuses to take the plane for her travels, had crossed the Atlantic in a sailing boat to go to New York where she had delivered her historic speech ("How dare you?") at the Summit for Climate Action organized at the United Nations Headquarters.* She was then to come to Chile to attend the COP25 but, this being canceled in Santiago, she left the United States by catamaran to attend the 25th International conference on climate change which will finally take place in Spain. Santiago, Chile - January 2020.
Note also that the COP25 in Chile was canceled after social revolts that began following the increase in the price of the metro ticket in Santiago.**
*https://www.huffingtonpost.fr/entry/ce-quil-y-a-de-martin-luther-king-dans-le-discours-h historique-de-greta-thunberg_fr_5d8b908ae4b01c02ca624d3e (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.lefigaro.fr/conjoncture/chili-a-l- origin-de-la-crise-des-tickets-de-metro-et-de-profondes-inegalites-20191021 (accessed February 18, 2021)
On the internet, we read this about this congress and we see a video ** of the Ted conference on climate change and human rights by Mary Robinson:
“[…] Under the slogan "Ideas for a New World", this year the event took place from Monday 13 to Friday January 17, 2020, with 88 exhibitors carrying out activities in nine regions of the country; the central event took place at the Teatro Oriente de Santiago. The focus of the discussion that will be formed this year will revolve around the social revolution that Chile experienced at the end of 2019. This year's exhibitors include Nigerian playwright and feminist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, lawyer and former Irish president Mary Robinson, 2018 Nobel laureate in chemistry Frances Arnold and same year's physics laureate Donna Strickland.”***
*https://www.ovtt.org/en/events/9th-future-congress-2020/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.youtube.com/watch? v = 7JVTirBEfho (accessed February 18, 2021)
***https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anexo: Congreso_Futuro_2020 (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here is what we read on the internet about the Chilean president:
“Miguel Juan Sebastián Piñera Echenique, born December 1, 1949 in Santiago, is a Chilean businessman and statesman, President of the Republic from 2010 to 2014 and since 2018. […]
From mid-October 2019, he was faced with demonstrations, which, with several tens of thousands of participants, were the most important since the return of democracy. Piñera decreed a state of emergency and a curfew, while riots and looting killed 20 people. […]
On October 26, the day after a demonstration that brought together more than a million people in Santiago, he announced the lifting of the state of emergency and the curfew as well as a major reshuffle of the government. This reshuffle took place on October 28. On November 5, when he became the most unpopular president since the return of democracy, he ruled out any resignation, arguing that the votes of his supporters must be respected. President Piñera's popularity rate droped to less than 7% in January 2020.”*
*https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sebastián_Piñera (accessed February 18, 2021)
About this skyscraper we can read this on the Wikipedia pages of the internet:
“La Gran Torre Santiago is a 300-meter office skyscraper built in 2014 in Santiago, Chile. It is the tallest skyscraper in South America. It is part of the Costanera Center. Sky Costanera is a viewpoint and tourist attraction located on floors 61 and 62 of the tower […] which allows the public to have a 360-degree view of Santiago from the building's terrace. […] On a clear day, you can see up to 50 kilometers around […]. This is the highest point of view in Latin America.”**
*https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanhattan (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gran_Torre_Santiago (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here is what we read about the artist and his show on the internet and in an article in "The Clinic", a partly satirical Chilean newspaper :
“Jorge Fabián Berlazzo, better known by his stage name Jorge Alís (Buenos Aires, January 12, 1967) is an Argentinian actor and comedian living in Chile since 1997.”* […] acclaimed by critics and the public, […] strong social critiques, dealing with issues such as immigration, family life and communication in the digital age. […] In this show, the Argentinian actor interacts with the audience, inviting them to respond to issues linked to the events of real life and the economy. And, with his characteristic style, Alís will respond with irony to the questions asked by the participants.”**
*https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jorge_Alís (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.theclinic.cl/2019/12/03/jorge-alis-presenta-su-show-y-ahora-que-mierda-hacemos-en-beneficio-de-la-fundacion-oncologica/ (accessed February 18, 2021
The tag "Aguas Libres" surely refers to the problems of the privatization of water in Chile, which is at the heart of the Chilean revolt of recent months. Santiago, Chile - January 2020.
On the internet about the Mapocho river then in an article in the Chilean newspaper The Clinic entitled "Drought in Chile: 10 facts that show the urgency of the problem", we found this concerning the absence of rain in Santiago:
The Mapocho River, “110 kilometers long, it begins on the precordillera […] It flows into the Maipo River which flows into the Pacific Ocean in Llolleo, a coastal town located nearly 70 kilometers south of Valparaíso.”*
“[…] No rain in Santiago: In September 2019, only 66.6 millimeters of rain fell in Santiago, which represents a water deficit of 77%. To get an idea, in Santiago, the normal to date should be 240 millimeters. In 2018, at this point in the year, we already had 110 millimeters, which was below the standard. […] Making 2019 the driest year since 1950, the year the measurements started. […]”**
*https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Río_Mapocho (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.theclinic.cl/2019/09/22/sequia-en-chile-10-datos-que-evidencian-la-urgencia-de-la-problematica/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
About the Constituent Assembly we can read this on the internet:
“The Chilean referendum of 2020 or national plebiscite of 2020 (in Spanish: Plebiscito Nacional 2020) took place on Sunday, October 25, 2020. As a result of a large-scale social movement […], the voters decided on a change to the Constitution, replacing the one adopted in 1980 under the regime of Pinochet, as well as on the nature of the body to which they wish to entrust the constituent power responsible for its drafting: a constituent assembly entirely elected or composed of half elected and the other half of parliamentarians.
The poll, which took place six months after the date initially scheduled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, saw the drafting proposal for a new constitution approved by a large majority of nearly 79% of the vote. The option of a fully elected constituent assembly was chosen by a similar majority, and should be implemented in constituent elections held on April 11, 2021.”*
*https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Référendum_chilien_de_2020 (accessed February 18, 2021)
More information here:
https://www.courrierinternational.com/article/amerique-latine-le-chili-approuve-massivement-un-changement-de-constitution (accessed February 18, 2021)
- The same wall repainted a few days later. Santiago, Chile - January 2020.
Here is what we can read about the meaning of these two tags in the article "Right to water in Chile: Only the people help the people" on the France Libertés site then in the article "" Fraud! " , the slogan that unites Chileans against inequalities "from the newspaper Le Figaro:
“ […] Chile is indeed one of the countries that goes the furthest in the commodification and privatization of its waters. The Water Code and the Constitution are very clear: water in Chile is seen as a resource that anyone can appropriate, use, sell or even rent, like any other good. This market vision leads to the grabbing of water by a few. […]”*
“ […] This call to “defraud” formulated by the Chilean protesters has a double meaning. He first refers to the call launched by high school and college students on October 18 to use the metro without paying after the announcement of a 3% increase in the price of the ticket, considered unfair by many users. But it also evokes the maneuvers of the political and economic elite to evade taxes and enrich themselves through corruption.”**
ACAB (https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/ACAB)
*https://www.france-libertes.org/fr/droit-a-leau-au-chili-seul-le-peuple-aide-le-peuple/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-eco/fraude-le-slogan-qui-unit-les-chiliens-contre-les-inegalites-20191024 (accessed February 18, 2021)
From many articles that can be read on the province of Petorca (where we will go during our cycling trip from the center to the north of Chile), here are two extracts that talk about the grabbing of water for the cultivation of avocado, one by Juliette Heuzebroc in National Geographic entitled "In Chile, avocados are drying up rivers" and the other "Right to water in Chile: Only the people help the people" on the site France Libertés:
“[…] The province of Petorca, located in the central region of Chile, has seen its traditional potato and tomato crops and orchards disappear to give way to the overwhelming exploitation of avocado trees. Today there are more than 16,000 hectares of cultivation, an 800% increase in less than 30 years. The inhabitants no longer have water to live, hydrate or bathe and have to bring in water by truck; the soils being completely drained by the farmers.[…]”*
“[…] The consequences of this privatization of water are dire. Entire regions in Chile are considered to be in a state of drought, disaster or even water emergency; populations and ecosystems are sacrificed for market needs. This is the case of the region of Petorca in northern Chile, whose two main rivers are dry, the wells and groundwater are dry and the vegetation totally parched in front of the green fields of avocados watered by the owners of the waters of the area. . […]”**
*https://www.nationalgeographic.fr/environnement/au-chili-les-avocats-assechent-les-cours-deau (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.france-libertes.org/fr/droit-a-leau-au-chili-seul-le-peuple-aide-le-peuple/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
About water management in Chile, here is an excerpt from an article in The Conversation (University expertise, journalistic requirement) entitled "In Chile, the drifts of the "water markets" which begins as follows:
“Like in many other countries, water in Chile is a public good. But like Australia or some US states, its management is in the hands of "water rights" owners, and public authorities limit their interference to the bare minimum. […] The action of the public authorities - through the General Directorate of Water (DGA) - is thus limited to granting "water rights": these are always associated with a maximum volume of water pumped per year (m3/year) and at an instantaneous maximum flow rate (l/s or m3/s). Once acquired, they can be sold or transferred without informing the DGA. The latter also assesses the level of resources and may decide to close, temporarily or permanently, overexploited watersheds and aquifers. […]”*
*https://theconversation.com/au-chili-les-derives-des-marches-de-leau-117263 (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here is what we could read in the Wikipedia pages of the internet and in an article in Le Monde by Aude Villiers-Moriamé entitled "Plaza Italia, heart of the Chilean protest" about the place itself and its role in the social protest:
“[…] In 1910, during the celebration of the centenary of the independence of Chile, several countries of the world sent gifts. The Italian government donated the statue of a winged archangel with a lion that was installed in the square and for this reason the people call this square Plaza Italia.”*
“For three months, demonstrators have gathered regularly in this square which divides Santiago in two, between upscale and more modest neighborhoods. They denounce growing social inequalities and demand a change in the Constitution which dates from Pinochet. After noon, as a dry heat sweeps over Chile's capital Santiago, Plaza Italia fills with clusters of protesters. Many have their faces covered - these are the encapuchados, the "hooded", accused by the government of Sebastián Piñera, the right-wing president, of being the main troublemakers. Equipped with extinguishers, they throw themselves into the middle of the cars and project a thick white smoke, more photogenic than that, translucent but formidable, tear gas canisters of the police. […]”**
*https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaza_Baquedano (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2020/01/17/plaza-italia-c-ur-de-la-contestation-chilienne_6026238_3210.html (accessed February 18, 2021)
Demonstration for the 3 months of the start of the deep social crisis that the country is going through and which led the Chilean government to give up hosting the COP25 which was to take place there in December 2019. Santiago de Chile - January 2020.
(1) “General Manuel Baquedano […] was a Chilean soldier and politician, who served as Commander-in-Chief of the Army during the Pacific War, and briefly as President of Chile during the Civil War of 1891. […]”*
Here is an excerpt from an AFP article in La Croix newspaper about what is happening in Chile entitled "Three months after the start of the social crisis, Chile in uncertainty":
“Three months after the outbreak of a deep social crisis, Chile is struggling between anguish, hope and uncertainty over the outcome of a protest that caught the political class by surprise. To mark the three months of the movement, which began on October 18, more than a thousand people gathered on Friday in Plaza Italia, the epicenter of protests in Santiago, renamed by protesters Plaza Dignidad (Dignity Square). And clashes erupted in nearby streets between other protesters and the police, who used tear gas and water-launching trucks, AFP journalists reported. […]”**
*https://fr.qaz.wiki/wiki/Manuel_Baquedano (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.la-croix.com/Monde/Trois-mois-debut-crise-sociale-Chili-incertitude-2020-01-17-1301072468 (accessed February 18, 2021)
Speaking of what is happening in Chile, here is an excerpt from an AFP article we read in the newspaper La Croix titled "Three months after the start of the social crisis, Chile in uncertainty":
“[…] Calls for demonstrations had been launched in Santiago to commemorate the three months of the movement, during which 29 people were killed, including five after the intervention of the police, and more than 2,000 injured, of which 350 were seriously damaged in the eyes.
Until October 18, the country was praised as one of the most stable in Latin America, acclaimed for its good macroeconomic performance. Three months later, the institutions have never seemed so weakened, shaken by a social rebellion unprecedented since the end of the dictatorship and the return of democracy in 1990.
Triggered by an increase in the metro ticket in Santiago, the crisis was fueled by the anger of the population at the deep socio-economic inequalities. Conservative President Sebastian Piñera, who will be halfway through his second term in March, has seen his popularity tumble to 6%, according to a Center for Public Studies (CEP) poll released Thursday. […]”**
*https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaza_Baquedano (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.la-croix.com/Monde/Trois-mois-debut-crise-sociale-Chili-incertitude-2020-01-17-1301072468 (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here is what we can read on the rfi site about this dog, an emblematic figure of the protest in an article by Justine Fontaine entitled "A stray dog has become the symbol of the protests in Chile":
“ […] The 'Negro matapacos' - the 'black cop killer' dog, in Chilean Spanish - is displayed everywhere in the streets of central Santiago, the Chilean capital. With his eternal red bandana hanging around his neck, or sometimes depicted with a halo of holiness above his head, he has become in the space of a few weeks one of the main symbols of the historic social movement which erupted in mid-October in the country, the most important since the end of the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990).
[…] The black dog may have died in 2017, but it continues to embody the deep rejection of the police by the demonstrators, harshly repressed since October 18. More than 300 people were injured in the eyes by tear gas canisters or lead balls fired by the police. The numerous human rights violations that have occurred since the start of the social movement in mid-October, and committed by the carabineros and the army (deployed in the streets during the first ten days of the social movement) have also been denounced by the UN, Amnesty international or even Human Rights Watch. […]”*
*https://www.rfi.fr/fr/amériques/20200120-chien-errant-devenu-symbole-manifestations-chili (accessed February 18, 2021)
About this place we read this in the Wikipedia pages of the internet:
“The square is seen as a borderline between the rich and the poor. Indeed towards the east (towards the Andes Cordillera or towards the top are the richest municipalities (Providencia, Ñuñoa, La Reina, Vitacura, Las Condes and Lo Barnechea), while towards the sunset are the poorest municipalities. From this square we speak of Plaza Italia para arriba or Plaza Italia para abajo.
Due to its characteristic, the square is used as a meeting place for all Santiaguinos without social or political distinction, during important celebrations. It is common to see people gathering in the square when a Chilean or a Chilean team represents the country and wins a championship. It is the main place of contestation during the student movements of 2006 and 2011. It is also the epicenter of the protests of 2019-2020.”*
*https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaza_Baquedano (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here is what we can read on the alterlatine site about the Mapuche:
“The Mapuche: people of the land and of combat. Protectors of nature and historically resistant to the Incas and the Spanish colonists, the Mapuche are a “native people” of the South American continent. While their presence on these lands dates back thousands of years, their legitimacy is still being questioned by the Chilean government, causing massacres and mass relocations for more than a century.”*
*https://alterlatine.com/2017/02/16/les-mapuches-peuple-de-la-terre-et-du-combat/# (accessed February 18, 2021)
About this social crisis, we can read this in an AFP article in Le Monde entitled "Chile still in uncertainty, three months after the start of the social crisis":
"The institutions have never seemed so weakened, shaken by an unprecedented social rebellion, triggered by an increase in the metro ticket in Santiago and fueled by anger at the deep socio-economic inequalities. […]
New calls to demonstrate were launched in Santiago to commemorate in the evening the three months of the movement, which left 29 dead, including five after the intervention of the police, and more than 2,000 wounded, of which 350 were seriously damaged in the eyes.[…]"
*https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2020/01/17/le-chili-toujours-dans-l-incertitude-trois-mois-apres-le-debut-de-la-crise-sociale_6026373_3210 .html (accessed February 18, 2021)
- On the panel: “Genocides Chile - Government: Piñera […] No to the impunity of these cowardly assassins and violators of the human rights of the defenseless Chilean people. Do not rest until they are imprisoned!”
- On the banner: “Piñera Assassin - Rapist of DD. HH.” (1) Santiago, Chile - January 2020.
On the internet we read this about the violence of police and military repression in the face of the social crisis:
“Chile has received further criticism from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (HR). Michelle Bachelet, estimated in a report to the Chilean prosecutor's office that there had been a high number of serious human rights violations in the context of the crackdown on the social outbreak of October 2019 and denounced a lack of cooperation on the part of the government to combat these police abuses. […]”**
“[…] What is happening in Chile is tragic. Over the course of three weeks, the state used excessive and in many cases unnecessary force, frequently against people participating in or near peaceful protests. Let me be clear: we are not talking about isolated facts. The cases number in the thousands and occur almost all over the country, ”said Ana Piquer, executive director of Amnesty International Chile.
“It is frightening that in the space of a few days more than 20 people have lost their lives, five of them, it seems, at the hands of state agents. To these figures must be added the hundreds of people who suffered irreversible injuries, such as the loss of an eye, from rubber bullets or tear gas canisters that hit them directly in the head. Amnesty International has also documented cases of torture and sexual violence. How can the Chilean government minimize the seriousness of these facts that occur daily? Urgent action is needed to put a stop to this."***
(1) DD. HH. : Acronym of derechos humanos (“human rights”)*
*https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/DD._HH. (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.rfi.fr/es/programas/noticias-de-américa/20210225-chile-violaciones-graves-a-ddhh-durante-estallido-social-en-2019-denuncia- la-un (accessed February 18, 2021)
***https://www.amnesty.org/fr/latest/news/2019/11/chile-amnistia-internacional-denunciara-violaciones-ante-cidh/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
For this we first crossed the vineyard of the Valle de Maipo. Valle del Maipo, Maipo Province, Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile - January 2020.
More information about this vineyard here:
https://www.chile-excepcion.com/guide-voyage/vins-du-chili/regions-viticoles (accessed February 18, 2021) https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valle_del_Maipo_(vino) (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here's what we read about the impact of drought on vineyards in Chile in an article in “The Online”wines magazine in Vino Veritas entitled "The vineyards of northern Chile hit by drought":
“[…] For three years now, the two major wine-growing areas in northern Chile, Elqui and Limari, have been affected by drought all the more worrying as the mountain water, used for irrigation, is now lacking. Some vines had to be abandoned, others saw their yield sharply reduced due to the cessation of irrigation.
These regions, best known for the production of Pisco, however, are also home to some cellars producing renowned wines, such as Tamaya […].
This drought calls into question the economic model of viticulture in these regions, based on an abundant and generalized supply of water. Some experts think it would be more reasonable and more profitable - to bet on the South of the country, including Bio Bio, Malleco or Traiguen, despite the risks of freezing.”*
*https://invinoveritas.be/fr/les-vignobles-du-nord-du-chili-frappes-par-la-secheresse/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here is what we read on the internet about the impact of drought on vineyards in Chile:
“[…] In general, there is a climate of Mediterranean influence. This results in sunshine most of the year, which can however lead to drought problems during the summer period. The winegrowers therefore developed an ingenious system of channels redirecting the water from the melting ice to remedy this. But as global warming has had an impact on this strategy, more modern properties now use current drip irrigation processes. […]”*
“Frosts and droughts reduce world wine production by 10% in 2019
Winegrowers produced 262.8 million hectoliters of wine this year, up from 294 million in 2018, the International Organization of Vine and Wine announced. […] Chile, with 11.9 million hectoliters, recorded a decrease of 7% compared to 2018, but an increase of 8% compared to its five-year average. […]”**
*https://www.toutlevin.com/article/tour-du-monde-des-vignobles-le-chili (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/societe/environnement/gels-et-secheresses-font-baître-de-10-la-production-mondiale-de-vin-en-2019_2105419.html (consulted on February 18, 2021)
Here is the website of the National Irrigation Commission:
https://www.cnr.gob.cl/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here he inspects his onion plot and sees that the irrigation is going well. Aculeo, Maipo Province, Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile - January 2020.
Bridge and dry river on the shores of Lake Aculeo.
Lake Aculeo has become unfortunately famous for its disappearance due to drought and overconsumption of water. Aculeo, Maipo Province, Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile - January 2020.
Here is what we can read on the internet about this lake:
“In Chile, a lake wiped off the map by drought. […] With an area of almost 12 km2 and a depth of about six meters, the lake was for decades one of the main tourist attractions of the Chilean capital, located 70 km away.
Each summer, the 10,000 inhabitants of the region eagerly awaited the arrival of holidaymakers who came to swim or practice water sports. Hotels, campsites and restaurants were always full. But water is now only a distant memory. […]”*
*https://www.geo.fr/environnement/au-chili-un-lac-raye-de-la-carte-par-la-secheresse-194986 (accessed February 18, 2021)
- The lake unfortunately in 2020!
Aculeo, Maipo Province, Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile - January 2020.
- View of the lake from the belvedere of a private house.
Aculeo, Maipo Province, Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile - January 2020.
Still in the same article we can read:
“[…] "We have been suffering from drought for ten years. And now the lake has disappeared, it has taken tourism, camping, business, everything with it ", deplores Marcos Contreras, an employee of the campsite in the village of Pintué, located on the banks of the body of water. Here no more vacationers, only canoes gathering dust. […] "My grandparents remember when torrential rains fell for a minimum of a week. Today, if it rains for two days, we are lucky," laments Camila Nunez, 20, who works in a restaurant . […] "We slowly killed the lake," notes Antonia Romero, 26, who lives there bitterly.”*
*https://www.geo.fr/environnement/au-chili-un-lac-raye-de-la-carte-par-la-secheresse-194986 (accessed February 18, 2021)
In an article found on the internet we read:
“[…] The lake's water level began to drop gradually from 2011. Less than ten years later, in May 2018, it completely dried up.
There is no single explanation for this situation: residents and experts cite the drastic decrease in precipitation - the lake's main source of water supply -, the overconsumption of agriculture and the anarchic urbanization of the surroundings. […]”*
*https://www.geo.fr/environnement/au-chili-un-lac-raye-de-la-carte-par-la-secheresse-194986 (accessed February 18, 2021)
In an article found on the internet we read:
“[…] If in the 1980s, it rained on average 350 mm per year in central Chile, in 2018, precipitation was halved and it is estimated that in the years to come, the amount of rain will continue to decline due to global warming.
"We observe that there is a downward trend in precipitation, so it is very likely that the next few years will be as dry as those we have just experienced", explains Eduardo Bustos, director of a research center on the climate change at the Catholic University of Chile. […]”*
*https://www.geo.fr/environnement/au-chili-un-lac-raye-de-la-carte-par-la-secheresse-194986 (accessed February 18, 2021)
In an article found on the internet we read:
“[…] Almost 70% of the Chilean population lives in drought prone areas where rainfall has decreased significantly in recent years. Experts estimate that the temperature will continue to rise until 2030 and that the watersheds in the center of the country will see their level drop by as much as 30%. […]”*
*https://www.geo.fr/environnement/au-chili-un-lac-raye-de-la-carte-par-la-secheresse-194986 (accessed February 18, 2021)
In an article found on the internet we read:
“[…] The lack of rain is not, however, the only cause of this ecological disaster. When the lake was still full, tourism was in full swing, so the places became attractive for the construction of businesses and second homes, many with swimming pools. This resulted in a significant increase in the demand for water in a very short period of time. […] ”*
*https://www.geo.fr/environnement/au-chili-un-lac-raye-de-la-carte-par-la-secheresse-194986 (accessed February 18, 2021)
End of article we found on the internet:
The lack of rain is not the only cause of this ecological disaster, however. […] To this must be added agriculture, which in the face of drought, needs more water for irrigation, leading to overexploitation of water reserves. In particular, avocado cultivation requires large quantities. "The need for water for crops in adjacent areas has increased the pressure on the lake," confirms researcher Eduardo Bustos. […]”*
*https://www.geo.fr/environnement/au-chili-un-lac-raye-de-la-carte-par-la-secheresse-194986 (accessed February 18, 2021)
In an article found on the internet we read:
“[…] But today water is only a distant memory. The landscape boils down to dust-covered ground, animal carcasses, abandoned boats, dry shrubs. The blazing southern summer sun hits the arid soil which gives off a scorched earth smell. The vegetation disappears day after day, leaving only room for cracked ground. […]”*
*https://www.geo.fr/environnement/au-chili-un-lac-raye-de-la-carte-par-la-secheresse-194986 (accessed February 18, 2021)
In an article found on the internet we read:
“With an area of almost 12 km2 and a depth of about six meters, the lake was for decades one of the main tourist attractions of the Chilean capital, located 70 km away.
Each summer, the 10,000 inhabitants of the region eagerly awaited the arrival of holidaymakers who came to swim or practice water sports. Hotels, campsites and restaurants were always full. […]”*
*https://www.geo.fr/environnement/au-chili-un-lac-raye-de-la-carte-par-la-secheresse-194986 (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here is what we read on the internet about the vegetation that our hosts for one night told us used to be native:
“[…] The prolonged drought and heat waves caused damage to 70% of the sclerophyll forest in the Santiago basin. Several trees are already showing signs of progressive foliage death. It is believed that in the future the metropolitan area may exhibit more similar characteristics to those found today in the small north of the country.”*
*https://www.theclinic.cl/2019/09/22/sequia-en-chile-10-datos-que-evidencian-la-urgencia-de-la-problematica/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
- Mountainside that burned down.
Aculeo, Maipo Province, Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile - January 2020.
Laguna Peñuelas, Province Valparaíso, Region Valparaíso, Chile - January 2020.
Here is an excerpt from an article read on the internet:
“Lake Peñuelas in Valparaíso has lost 90% of its water due to the drought.
The experience of visiting Lake Peñuelas is traumatic. Those memories of its prime feel like slaps when checking its current state: it's at 10% full capacity and the future is somber.
In the 90s the gigantic mass of blue water was visible from the cars on route 68, it was an indication that we were already close to Valparaíso for those traveling from the south. There were even people fishing from the side of the road to catch silversides (1) and carp.”*
(1) Silversides: "also called sand smelt, smelt or white bait, one of the many species of small, slender school fish in the family Atherinidae (order Atheriniformes), found in freshwater and along the coasts of the world whole in warm and temperate regions."**
*https://www.soychile.cl/Valparaiso/Sociedad/2019/10/05/618513/Lago-Penuelas-en-Valparaiso-ha-perdido-el-90-del-agua-debido-a-la-sequia .aspx (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.britannica.com/animal/silversides (accessed February 18, 2021)
Information found on the internet about the Laguna:
“The Lago Peñuelas National Reserve is a national reserve of Chile. The reserve was created around Lake Peñuelas, a freshwater reservoir that provides drinking water to Valparaíso and Viña del Mar. The park, which is located in the Valparaíso region of Chile, has been declared protected area in 1952 to protect the drainage of the Peñuelas reservoir and dam, built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The park, with La Campana National Park to its north, was designated Campana-Peñuelas Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1984.
The park covers an area of 9,260 hectares (35.7 square miles) and is crossed by approximately 12 km of Route 68 Chile, which is the main road between Valparaíso and Santiago. Its altitude varies between 337 and 613 meters AMSL.”*
*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lago_Peñuelas_National_Reserve (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here is an article we found on the internet about the fires in the area:
“Red alert in Valparaíso after forest fires in the Lake Peñuelas reserve.
More than 500 hectares were consumed by the flames, according to the region's fire department. The fire affected "La Melosilla", part of the Biosphere Reserve of Lake Peñuelas.”*
- A year after our visit, while exchanging our greetings with one of our hosts (see the Hosts of Chile serie on our site) we learned that once again a big fire was affecting the Reserve.
Here is an article that confirms the information:
«Thursday January 14, 2021 | 22:12 […] Red alert declared in Valparaíso and Quilpué due to a forest fire in the Lake Peñuelas National Reserve […]. This is the incident called "La Engorda R.N.L.P.", which affects an area to be confirmed of 1 hectare of meadows, brush and pine trees.
The measurement was activated from 22:29 and will continue until conditions warrant. Two fire brigade units from Valparaíso and 8 members of the Conaf brigade fight to control and contain the flames. The incident was notified at 9:00 p.m. and occurs at the entrance called El Atravieso. […]»**
*https //www.eldinamo.cl/nacional/2019/11/16/alerta-roja-en-valparaiso-tras-incendios-forestales-en-reserva-del-lago-penuelas/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.biobiochile.cl/noticias/nacional/region-de-valparaiso/2021/01/14/bomberos-y-brigadistas-combaten-incendio-forestal-al-interior-de-la-reserva- nacional-lago-penuelas.shtml (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here is an article we found on the internet about the fires in the area:
“Red alert in Valparaíso after forest fires in the Lake Peñuelas reserve.
More than 500 hectares were consumed by the flames, according to the region's fire department. The fire affected "La Melosilla", part of the Biosphere Reserve of Lake Peñuelas.”*
- A year after our visit, while exchanging our greetings with one of our hosts (see the Hosts of Chile series on our site) we learned that once again a big fire was affecting the Reserve.
Here is an article that confirms the information:
“Thursday January 14, 2021 | 22:12 […] Red alert declared in Valparaíso and Quilpué due to a forest fire in the Lake Peñuelas National Reserve […]. This is the incident called "La Engorda R.N.L.P.", which affects an area to be confirmed of 1 hectare of meadows, brush and pine trees.
The measurement was activated from 22:29 and will continue until conditions warrant. Two fire brigade units from Valparaíso and 8 members of the Conaf brigade fight to control and contain the flames. The incident was notified at 9:00 p.m. and occurs at the entrance called El Atravieso. […]”**
*https://www.eldinamo.cl/nacional/2019/11/16/alerta-roja-en-valparaiso-tras-incendios-forestales-en-reserva-del-lago-penuelas/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.biobiochile.cl/noticias/nacional/region-de-valparaiso/2021/01/14/bomberos-y-brigadistas-combaten-incendio-forestal-al-interior-de-la-reserva- nacional-lago-penuelas.shtml (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here is an article we found on the internet about the fires in the area:
“Red alert in Valparaíso after forest fires in the Lake Peñuelas reserve. More than 500 hectares were consumed by the flames, according to the region's fire department. The fire affected "La Melosilla", part of the Biosphere Reserve of Lake Peñuelas.”*
- A year after our visit, while exchanging our greetings with one of our hosts (see the Hosts of Chile series on our site) we learned that once again a big fire was affecting the Reserve.
Here is an article that confirms the information:
“Thursday January 14, 2021 | 22:12 […] Red alert declared in Valparaíso and Quilpué due to a forest fire in the Lake Peñuelas National Reserve […]. This is the incident called "La Engorda R.N.L.P.", which affects an area to be confirmed of 1 hectare of meadows, brush and pine trees. The measurement was activated from 22:29 and will continue until conditions warrant. Two fire brigade units from Valparaíso and 8 members of the Conaf brigade fight to control and contain the flames. The incident was notified at 9:00 p.m. and occurs at the entrance called El Atravieso. […]”**
*https://www.eldinamo.cl/nacional/2019/11/16/alerta-roja-en-valparaiso-tras-incendios-forestales-en-reserva-del-lago-penuelas/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.biobiochile.cl/noticias/nacional/region-de-valparaiso/2021/01/14/bomberos-y-brigadistas-combaten-incendio-forestal-al-interior-de-la-reserva- nacional-lago-penuelas.shtml (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here is an article we found on the internet about the fires in the area:
“Red alert in Valparaíso after forest fires in the Lake Peñuelas reserve. More than 500 hectares were consumed by the flames, according to the region's fire department. The fire affected "La Melosilla", part of the Biosphere Reserve of Lake Peñuelas.”*
- A year after our visit, while exchanging our greetings with one of our hosts (see the Hosts of Chile series on our site) we learned that once again a big fire was affecting the Reserve.
Here is an article that confirms the information:
“Thursday January 14, 2021 | 22:12 […] Red alert declared in Valparaíso and Quilpué due to a forest fire in the Lake Peñuelas National Reserve […].This is the incident called "La Engorda R.N.L.P.", which affects an area to be confirmed of 1 hectare of meadows, brush and pine trees. The measurement was activated from 22:29 and will continue until conditions warrant. Two fire brigade units from Valparaíso and 8 members of the Conaf brigade fight to control and contain the flames.The incident was notified at 9:00 p.m. and occurs at the entrance called El Atravieso. […]”**
*https://www.eldinamo.cl/nacional/2019/11/16/alerta-roja-en-valparaiso-tras-incendios-forestales-en-reserva-del-lago-penuelas/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.biobiochile.cl/noticias/nacional/region-de-valparaiso/2021/01/14/bomberos-y-brigadistas-combaten-incendio-forestal-al-interior-de-la-reserva- nacional-lago-penuelas.shtml (accessed February 18, 2021)
- Below, in the canal where only a few puddles remain, the pump with which he drew water to water his fields. It no longer works due to lack of water; because the absence of rains for 3 years and the presence of a large neighboring producer, who makes tomatoes in greenhouses for export thanks to a very deep well, prevent the resupply of the canal.
- A piece of land that caught fire; it was no longer cultivated for lack of water.
San Pedro, Chile - January 2020.
- There he shows us the canal, which has been dry for 3 years, from which he drew water to water his plantations with a pump.
His neighbor opposite, who makes tomatoes in greenhouses for export, has a borehole that captures water deeper. This plus the absence of rains for 3 years prevents the canal from being replenished with water.
- End of the canal where a little water has accumulated.
San Pedro, Chile - January 2020.
On the internet we found this to complete the previous captions:
“[…] Moreover, 2019 is the eighth year in a row that Chile has faced a serious shortage of precipitation, a situation that does not appear to be developing in a positive way in the short term. In Chile, the sectors that consume the most water are agriculture (around 77%), industry (9.1%), mining (7%) and drinking water and sanitation (5.9 %).
In its ranking, the World Resources Institute (WRI) placed Chile in 18th place among countries under extreme water stress.
The effects of the lack of rainfall have already been felt in various parts of the country. Recently, the Ministry of Agriculture declared the regions of Coquimbo (north), Valparaíso (center) and O'Higgins (south) "areas of agricultural crisis" and several localities are in water scarcity and record significant losses in agricultural production, which occupies a prominent place among Chilean exports. […]”*
*http://mapecology.ma/actualites/secheresse/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
About Ceres, we read this on the internet:
“[…] Ceres aspires to be a national benchmark in research and innovation for the sustainability of agriculture and rural areas. […] In 2013, the center set up […] the first demonstration module of agroecological production techniques […]”*
*http://www.centroceres.cl/en/institutional/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
Note that the procedure for the tomatoes is in the old way "en coliguado" with bamboo-type stakes recovered from the hill (cerro). San Pedro, Province of Quillota, Region Valparaíso, Chile - January 2020.
The fresh vegetables are sold locally and also distributed by a state institution to schools and colleges in the metropolitan region* of Santiago. San Pedro, Province of Quillota, Region Valparaíso, Chile - January 2020.
On the internet, we read this about the metropolitan area:
“The Santiago Metropolitan Region (Región Metropolitana de Santiago in Spanish) is one of the 16 administrative regions of Chile. It is divided into 6 provinces, made up of 52 municipalities including the city of Santiago de Chile, the country's capital. It is also home to Chile's main international airport, Arturo Merino Benítez Airport.”*
*https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Région_Métropolitaine_de_Santiago (accessed February 18, 2021)
The association is a place for the dissemination and practice of the techniques learned at the Ceres Center. (1)
- Meeting of the farmers of the association. Today's meeting is to vote on the entry of new members, from 13 to 17.
Their goal is also to unite to find outlets for their respective agricultural productions and to have more strength to negotiate the purchase prices of material and seeds and the selling prices of their crops.
La Palma, Province of Quillota, Region Valparaíso, Chile - January 2020.
(1) “[…] Ceres aspires to be a national benchmark in research and innovation for the sustainability of agriculture and rural areas. […] In 2013, the center set up […] the first demonstration module of agroecological production techniques […]”*
Here is what we can still read about the Ceres Center on the internet:
“[…] the center has put its work in three thematic programs: biological soil restoration, territorial management of insects, and landscape, territory and rural development; a systemic vision that takes into account not only agriculture but also its territorial environment, adding in the last period of "consolidation and positioning" the emerging program of a sustainable agrifood system.”**
*http://www.centroceres.cl/en/institutional/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**http://www.centroceres.cl/en/what-do-we-do/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
Today's meeting is to vote on the entry of new members, from 13 to 17. La Palma, Province of Quillota, Region Valparaíso, Chile - January 2020.
(1) “[…] Ceres aspires to be a national benchmark in research and innovation for the sustainability of agriculture and rural areas. […] In 2013, the center set up […] the first demonstration module of agroecological production techniques […]”*
*http://www.centroceres.cl/en/institutional/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
Venue for the association's farmers meeting, of which our evening host is the director. It is a place for the dissemination and practice of techniques learned at the Ceres Center. (1) The goal is also to unite to find outlets for their respective agricultural productions and to have more strength to negotiate the purchase prices of material and seeds and the selling prices of their crops. Today's meeting is to vote on the entry of new members, from 13 to 17. La Palma, Province of Quillota, Region Valparaíso, Chile - January 2020.
(1) “[…] Ceres aspires to be a national benchmark in research and innovation for the sustainability of agriculture and rural areas. […] In 2013, the center set up […] the first demonstration module of agroecological production techniques […]”*
*http://www.centroceres.cl/en/institutional/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
- Autumn/Winter - Spring/Summer. The table lists the type of crops per season and their yield: 200 or 100 kg per hectare - Sector 1, Ecological soil management, Year 3. Example of agroforestry plot.
Quillota, La Palma, Province of Quillota, Region Valparaíso, Chile - January 2020.
On the internet we read this about this center:
“In the 80s and 90s there was an agricultural boom in Chile. The agricultural activity based on the production of monocultures, with a strong use of agrochemicals, was privileged. Despite its high productivity, this model quickly began to generate compacted and lifeless soils, contamination of underground layers with nitrates, food containing pesticide residues, among other effects.
This situation motivated a group of academics from the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso, headed by Eduardo Gratacós, to change direction. Other alternatives for agronomy could and should be considered. It was necessary to propose another way of approaching nature and of conceiving rural territories.
The Ceres Center was born from this diagnosis and these ideals. As part of a joint initiative of PUCV, the regional government of Valparaíso and Conicyt, the center was established in February 2011, under the name of “Regional Center for Fruit and Vegetable Innovation of Valparaíso”. […]”**
*http://www.centroceres.cl/en/institutional/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**http://www.centroceres.cl/en/institutional/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
Due to the drought the avocados are cut almost flush. The roots are kept, the stumps are whitewashed with lime to protect them from the sun while waiting for the next rains. The tree can stay that way for a year or more without dying.
In the photo on the right, again due to the lack of water for irrigation, lemon trees have been uprooted.
Quillota, La Palma, Province of Quillota, Region Valparaíso, Chile - January 2020.
Plot of avocado trees near the Ceres center.
Due to the drought the avocados are cut almost flush. The roots are kept, the stumps are whitewashed with lime to protect them from the sun while waiting for the next rains. The tree can stay that way for a year or more without dying. Quillota, La Palma, Province of Quillota, Region Valparaíso, Chile - January 2020.
An agricultural technician, former student from the Ceres Center* shows us a regrowth which proves that the tree is alive and well. He will also tell us that the precipitation in 2018 was 300 mm and that this winter it fell only 80 mm. Quillota, La Palma, Province of Quillota, Region Valparaíso, Chile - January 2020.
*http://www.centroceres.cl/en/institutional/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
- Monoculture of avocado trees on the plot next to the Ceres Center.*
Quillota, La Palma, Province of Quillota, Region Valparaíso, Chile - January 2020.
*http://www.centroceres.cl/en/institutional/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
- "It's not drought, it's looting"
Santa Rosa de Colmo, Province of Quillota, Region Valparaíso, Chile - February 2020.
On the internet we found an article dealing in particular with the fate of the wetland downstream of the bridge:
“Here is a very complex situation. In the case of Concón, we are going to be very affected, because we are at the mouth of the river, which receives or does not receive water from the highest point, from where the Aconcagua river originates and we see with concern what can happen to our wetland which is so close to our hearts,” said the head of the community of Concón.*
And a petition of which here is an extract of the text which explains the two slogans:
“In Chile, the level of drought and desertification is dramatic. Drought has brought poverty to small farmers and environmental destruction. But is it really a drought? What is the cause of this situation?
Chile is the only country in the world where the ownership and administration of water is in private hands. Water owners can secure this vital resource for their own benefit, only concerned with their best interests. These are the cases in point: mining in the north and the plantation of avocados in the center-north zone, extractive tasks which deprive the inhabitants of the various rural communities of aquifer resources.
#It's not drought, it's looting”**
*https://web.observador.cl/video-preocupacion-por-el-humedal-de-concon-tras-sequia-del-rio-aconcagua/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.change.org/p/secretaría-de-medio-ambiente-y-desarrollo-territorial-procuraduría-estatal-de-protección-al- ambien-recuperar-r% C3% ADo-aconcagua-santa-rosa-de-colmo-quillota (accessed February 18, 2021)
- "Industrial water" tank truck
Santa Rosa de Colmo, Province of Quillota, Region Valparaíso, Chile - February 2020.
On the internet we found a petition of which here is an extract of the text which explains the two slogans:
“In Chile, the level of drought and desertification is dramatic. Drought has brought poverty to small farmers and environmental destruction. But is it really a drought? What is the cause of this situation?
Chile is the only country in the world where the ownership and administration of water is in private hands. Water owners can secure this vital resource for their own benefit, only concerned with their best interests. These are the cases of mining in the north and the plantation of avocados in the center-north zone, extractive tasks which deprive the inhabitants of the various rural communities of aquifer resources.
#It's not drought, it's looting”**
*https://www.change.org/p/secretaría-de-medio-ambiente-y-desarrollo-territorial-procuraduría-estatal-de-protección-al- ambien-recuperar-r% C3% ADo-aconcagua-santa-rosa-de-colmo-quillota (accessed February 18, 2021)
- "Water - Dignity - Struggle". La Ligua, Province of Petorca, Region Valparaíso, Chile - February 2020.
Here is an interview with agricultural engineer Rodrigo Mundaca, originally from La Ligua. This Chilean activist received the Nuremberg International Human Rights Prize*. He looks back on the social crisis that his country is going through and on the fight for access to water which can be summed up by his slogan that we find everywhere: “No es sequía es saqueo” (It is not drought, it's looting).
Here is the beginning of his profile made by the journalist before the questions and answers:
“Rodrigo Mundaca has always lived a simple life at his home in La Ligua. […] Another thing has been his life in the past few months. As secretary general and spokesperson for the Movement for the Defense of Access to Water, Land and Environmental Protection (Modatima), he raised the issue of the depredation of common natural goods (he refuses to call them natural resources because of the extractivist connotation) at the center of international debate, a task which recently earned him the award of the Nuremberg International Human Rights Prize for his fight for access to water for all communities.”**
*https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prix_international_des_droits_de_l%27homme_de_Nuremberg (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://palabrapublica.uchile.cl/2019/12/20/rodrigo-mundaca-advierte-cambio-radical-o-gatopardismo/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
Slogan that we found everywhere after leaving the capital (see previous caption).
Not far from Limache, Marga Marga Province, Valparaíso Region, Chile - February 2020.
- “Camilo Catrillanca assassinated in a democracy. » Puchuncaví, Valparaíso Province, Valparaíso Region, Chile - February 2020.
Here is the start of an article titled "Chilean Police Taken to Justice after Young Mapuche Activist Killed":
“Camilo Catrillanca was a 24-year-old Mapuche boy. He drove a blue tractor, accompanied by another 14-year-old Mapuche. While Camilo Catrillanca was unarmed, a group of police bared his way and shot him. The young man was shot in the back of the neck and died a few minutes later. This is shown by three videos dated November 14, 2018 and released a month later by a Chilean investigative outlet, the Center for Journalistic Investigation and Information (Ciper). And these films quickly went viral.
Two hours after the young man’s death, Chilean police released a report in which they argued a "clash" during a special law enforcement operation. A version taken up by the government.”*
*https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2019/08/09/la-police-chilienne-devant-la-justice-apres-la-mort-d-un-jeune-activiste-mapuche_5498158_3210.html (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here is what we can read about this place on the internet:
“The Resort
A ninety-minute drive northwest of Santiago in the Valparaiso region, the Marbella Resort & Country Club is located in the resort town of Maitencillo. Commanding a scenic location on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the resort spans 650 acres including a 5-star hotel and championship golf course. The resort offers first class accommodation and service as well as a host of amenities. […]”*
*https://www.golfworldresorts.com/south-america/chile/marbella-golf-resort-&-country-club.61.html (Accessed February 18, 2021)
Here is what we can read about this place on the internet:
"The Resort
[…] True to its name, the Marbella Resort is a Mediterranean-style hotel offering elegant accommodation overlooking the fairways and the sea. Meals are served in the resort's two restaurants, accompanied by an extensive wine list including a large selection of the famous local vineyards of the Aconcagua valley. A comprehensive convention center is complemented by numerous leisure facilities, including a fitness center, spa, tennis, indoor and outdoor pools, while the beach is easily accessible by the resort's free shuttle.”*
*https://www.golfworldresorts.com/south-america/chile/marbella-golf-resort-&-country-club.61.html (Accessed February 18, 2021)
- "Cachantun". Not far from Puchuncaví, Province of Valparaíso, Region Valparaíso.
- “Zapallar Forest - 10,000 m2 of urbanized plots - From UF 1,690”. Not far from La Ligua, Province of Petorca, Region Valparaíso.
Chile - February 2020.
On the internet we found:
“CCU is a multi-category beverage company, with operations in Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Paraguay and Uruguay.
In Chile, CCU is a leading player in each of the categories in which it participates, including beers, soft drinks, mineral and bottled waters, nectars, wine and pisco, among others. At the South American level, it is the second largest brewer in Argentina and also participates in the cider, spirits and wine industry; in Uruguay and Paraguay, it is present in the beer, mineral and bottled water, soft drinks and nectars market; in Bolivia, it participates in the beer, bottled water, soft drinks and malt industries; and in Colombia, it participates in the beer and malt market.”*
“Zapallar Forest - Apartments - Urbanized land
"Enjoy the countryside a few minutes from the most beautiful beaches in the region 5"
With swimming pools, tennis court, soccer field, volleyball court, basketball court, controlled access etc.”**
*https://www.ccu.cl/marcas-productos/cachantun/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://forestadezapallar.cl/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
- “Nationalize water”. Not far from El Palqui, Province of Monte Patria, Region Coquimbo, Chile - February 2020.
On the internet we found articles about:
- this fight against the construction of a Doña Carmen thermoelectric power station near La Ligua
- the problem of water in Chile
“[…] In the municipality of the region of Valparaíso, citizens are confronted with the administrative progress of the 48 MW emergency thermoelectric power station" Doña Carmen "(promoted by the company Imelsa), which is being evaluated.
The community, which has the support of the mayor Rodrigo Sánchez, the city council and some deputies such as the socialist Christian Uribe, denounce that "Doña Carmen" is moving forward without an environmental impact study, having only required a declaration, which would prevent citizen participation mechanisms in its development.
In this sense, the movement's spokesperson, Miguel Pérez, denounced the way in which the state applies environmental law, ensuring that it is always for the benefit of the private sector. […]
The reality that local populations live today has already been faced in various parts of the country, the onslaught of thermoelectric power plants and the pollutants that are released from their combustion, which in this case is 70% natural gas and the rest of diesel, compromises the air quality in the area, providing additional concentrate of nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and carbon monoxide. […]”*
“Recall that Chile was the first country in the world to privatize its water sources and its management, which resulted in the imposition of a profit model for a common good fundamental for the reproduction of life, where it It is possible to own water in perpetuity without having land. Since the dictatorship of the 1981 Water Code, the system has divided the use of water into advisory and non-advisory rights. The former relate to irrigation, mining, industry and household use, the latter to hydroelectricity. […]
In the case of non-consultative rights, the hydroelectric activity rests in the hands of the company Enel (privatized in 1989, editor's note). In addition, those who control the distribution of water in the country (Agua Andinas and Esval), are companies with transnational capital, controlling only tariffs and consumption.
Faced with this system of privatization, it is therefore necessary to build a new water democracy, which takes into account international water legislation and also the contribution of local experiences in Latin America and the world. Notably the 2010 decision of the United Nations General Assembly which declared access to drinking water and sanitation to be fundamental rights.”**
*https://www.terram.cl/2016/12/la-ligua-levanta-movimiento-contra-central-termoelectrica-dona-carmen/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.gauchebdo.ch/2020/02/06/vers-la-deprivatisation-de-leau/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
He poses in front of a patch of quinoa that he has not been able to sow this year due to lack of water. La Ligua, Province of Petorca, Region Valparaíso, Chile - February 2020.
- Not far from Puchuncaví, Province of Valparaíso, Region Valparaíso, Chile - February 2020.
Here is an article found on the net about cattle and drought in Chile:
“Drought hits the center of Chile hard
Tens of thousands of dead animals, family farms on the brink of collapse and nearly 600,000 people supplied with water by tankers: a harsh drought is hitting central Chile, marked by a decade of low rainfall. […]
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, in the center of the country, goats (80,000) were the most affected by mortality, followed by cattle (18,000) and sheep (8,000). […]
In Petorca, the rivers are dry and the landscape is peeled by drought. But green spots appear in places: the lemon and avocado plantations, of which Chile is a major exporter.
According to the inhabitants of Petorca, to the lack of water must be added the poor management of water resources. "There is an excess of monoculture plantations that consume all the water," Diego Soto, of the Defense Movement for Access to Water, Land and Environmental Protection (Modatima), told AFP.
The avocado, originally from Central America, needs a lot of water to grow. "It takes 600 liters of water per week for an avocado tree, human consumption requires 50 liters per day, or 350 liters" per week, he recalls.”*
*https://www.lepoint.fr/monde/la-secheresse-frappe-de-plein-fouet-le-centre-du-chili-02-10-2019-2338851_24.php (consulté le 18 février 2021)
These signs were frequent along the roads during the bicycle trip that took us from the capital to San Pedro de Atacama. Not far from Puchuncaví, Province of Valparaíso, Region Valparaíso, Chile - February 2020.
As a reminder, here is a summary of what can be read in many articles about Chile:
“1. A prolonged mega-drought
2. A significant water deficit
3. Chile among high risk countries
4. No rain in Santiago
5. The driest year […]”*
*https://www.theclinic.cl/2019/09/22/sequia-en-chile-10-datos-que-evidencian-la-urgencia-de-la-problematica/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
- "We do wells - The best and the cheapest". Not far from Puchuncaví, Province of Valparaíso, Region Valparaíso, Chile - February 2020.
- "Deep wells". Not far from Combarbalá, Province of Limarí, Region Coquimbo, Chile - February 2020.
Part of the continuation of the synthesis already mentioned in the previous legend:
“[…] 7. Chile in a state of emergency
A state of agricultural emergency has already been declared in 5 regions of the country due to the water deficit: the metropolitan region, the region of Valparaíso, Coquimbo, O'Higgins and recently it has also been declared in 9 municipalities of the Maule region. With this, there are already 1,400 kilometers of the country which have been seriously affected by the lack of water.
8. The snow is fading
In Santiago, it is calculated that the snow in the mountain range has decreased from 77% to 78%.
9. More than 6 million inhabitants affected by desertification
72% of Chile's surface suffers to some extent from drought. 156 of the country's 345 municipalities are threatened with desertification, a threat that could affect more than six million inhabitants (38% of the population). […]”*
*https://www.theclinic.cl/2019/09/22/sequia-en-chile-10-datos-que-evidencian-la-urgencia-de-la-problematica/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
Also we found a lot of agricultural land for sale.
- Not far from Petorca, Province of Petorca, Region of Valparaíso.
- Not far from El Palqui, Monte Patria, Province of Limarí, Region of Coquimbo.
Chile - February 2020.
Here is what we found about the rural exodus in Chile:
“Monte Patria: […] It is estimated that 15% of the population - around 5,000 people - have already left the region.
Mayor Camilo Ossandón alluded to a report by the World Organization for Migration and assured that Monte Patria "becomes the first territory in the south of the world to generate migration due to climate change".
"People mainly migrate north in search of work, and also to Santiago," he said.
Regarding animals, he said that "every week we bury goats in different places to avoid health problems". […]”*
*https://www.concierto.cl/2019/10/monte-patria-habitantes-emigran-sequia/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
Photo from the short series on water towers that you can find on our site. Casablanca, Province of Valparaíso, Region of Valparaíso, Chile - January 2020.
On the internet we find this on the subject of Esval:
"[…] The current Chilean Water Code was actually written in 1981, under the dictatorship of Auguste Pinochet. This grants rights of ownership and exploitation of water resources to private actors. Under this system, therefore, water is not a public good for the Chilean population.[…]
The misuse of these water permits, now granted in perpetuity, has dire environmental consequences. Natural water resources such as rivers and groundwater are drying up. The landscape of the region is gradually changing: the vivid green of the vegetation gives way to the ocher color of a dry valley.
As a result, the quantities of water intended for domestic use are limited and some municipalities depend on tankers. This drinking water is sold by the company ESVAL, a sanitary concession in the region.
[…] rural populations, who suffer the most from water scarcity in the Province. Farmers in particular sometimes do not have enough water to continue farming their land, forcing them to part with their animals. Today, the gravity of the situation has reached a level where, in these rural areas, not only animals but also humans do not have enough water to drink. […]"*
*https://leglobeur.com/2019/05/lavocat-chilien-quand-le-business-des-uns-assoiffe-les-autres/ (consulté le 18 février 2021)
- "Water is life, let's take care of it!" La Serena, Elqui Province, Coquimbo Region, Chile - February 2020.
Photo from a small series on water towers that you can find on our site.
Photo from a small series on water towers that you can find on our site.
- Not far from Las Palmas, Chile - February 2020.
- Not far from La Serena, Elqui Province, Coquimbo Region, Chile - February 2020.
Here is what we read about it on the internet:
“[…] Dead animals, water shortages, farmers in difficulty ... In Chile, the drought is hitting the hardest part. The South American country is particularly affected by the drought, which has caused the death of thousands of animals. The Chilean president has announced an investment of five billion dollars to deal with it.
Tens of thousands of dead animals, family farms on the brink of collapse and nearly 600,000 people supplied with water by tankers. This is the sad toll of a severe drought currently hitting central Chile, marked by a decade of low rainfall. […]”*
*https://www.lefigaro.fr/sciences/animaux-morts-penuries-d-eau-agriculteurs-en-difficulte-au-chili-la-secheresse-frappe-de-plein-fouet-20191002 (consulted on 18 February 2021)
- Not far from Quilimarí, Coquimbo Region, Chile - February 2020.
- Manuel Montt, not far from Petorca, Chile - February 2020.
“[…] At the end of the southern winter, the driest for 60 years, 6 of the 16 regions of the country are suffering from a lack of rainfall. In these regions, as many as 106,000 animals have died due to lack of water and fodder, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. In the center of the country, goats (80,000) were the most affected by mortality, followed by cattle (18,000) and sheep (8,000). […]”*
*https://www.lefigaro.fr/sciences/animaux-morts-penuries-d-eau-agriculteurs-en-difficulte-au-chili-la-secheresse-frappe-de-plein-fouet-20191002 (consulted on 18 February 2021)
- Distribution of a meager ration of fodder to a small herd of goats. Between Tilama and Guangualí.
Chile - February 2020.
Here is what we read on the internet about Herbalife:
“An international company, leader in the field of well-being and at the forefront of research in nutrition and weight management, created in February 1980 by Mark Hughes in the United States. Its founder then imagined and marketed a meal replacement: a plant-based shake, rich in proteins and vitamins. […]”*
*https://www.herbalifefrance.fr/a-propos/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
On the internet, we read this about drought and its impact on livestock:
“[…] 6. The impact on animals
10,000 animals have died between the regions of Coquimbo and Maule, Valparaíso being the most affected, where 30% of the dead animals are cattle and 70% goats and sheep. An estimated 50,000 animals have been affected by the drought.
7. Chile in a state of emergency
A state of agricultural emergency has already been declared in 5 regions of the country due to the water deficit: the metropolitan region, the region of Valparaíso, Coquimbo, O'Higgins and recently it has also been declared in 9 municipalities of the Maule region. With this, there are already 1,400 kilometers of the country which have been seriously affected by the lack of water. […]”*
*https://www.theclinic.cl/2019/09/22/sequia-en-chile-10-datos-que-evidencian-la-urgencia-de-la-problematica/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
- Rider wearing the traditional Chilean hat.
Between La ligua and Petorca, Province of Petorca, Region of Valparaíso, Chile - February 2020.
Here is what we can read about a Chilean tradition:
“[…] The huaso is the Chilean equivalent of the Argentinian gaúcho or the American cowboy. He typically wears a straw hat with a flat brim called a chupalla and a manta (a colorful short cape woven with country patterns). Huasos are an important part of Chilean folklore: they are seen at parades, fiestas, rodeos, and vacations.
The word “huaso” would come from the mixture of several Andalusian words: guasa, guazón and gacho, the latter designating a rider. […]”*
*https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huaso_ (rider) (accessed February 18, 2021)
On the left, due to the lack of water, the trees were cut almost flush and the stumps were whitewashed with lime to protect them from the sun while waiting for the next rains. The tree can stay that way for a year or more without dying. Manuel Montt, not far from Petorca, Petorca Province, Valparaíso Region, Chile - February 2020.
Here is the beginning of an article which sums up the situation in the province of Petorca:
“The province of Petorca, located in the central region of Chile, has seen its traditional potato and tomato crops and orchards disappear to give way to the overwhelming exploitation of avocado trees. Today there are more than 16,000 hectares of cultivation, an 800% increase in less than 30 years. The inhabitants no longer have water to live, hydrate or bathe and have to bring in water by truck; the soils being completely drained by the farmers.
The beds of several rivers, such as Ligua and Petorca, have been dry for more than ten years. Fish and other agents of flora and fauna have also disappeared, considerably disrupting the ecosystem in the area. But even more serious: the absence of watercourses makes any evaporation and thus the process of cloud formation and therefore precipitation impossible. With a subtropical climate, the province of Petorca has experienced long periods of drought for years, amplified by the El niño weather phenomenon.”*
*https://www.nationalgeographic.fr/environnement/au-chili-les-avocats-assechent-les-cours-deau (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here is a video interview with agricultural engineer Rodrigo Mundaca, a well-known Chilean activist who is threatened with death, who talks about the situation there, the COPs, European multinationals like the French Suez, etc. here is a summary:
“[…] "Is it okay for you to keep consuming avocados when some kids don't even know what a river is?"
Rodrigo Mundaca fights for access to water in Chile where this natural resource is managed as private property or real estate. In the region of Petorca, these avocado crops are thriving, despite the severe water crisis and the unprecedented drought that hit Chile, leaving 600,000 people without access to water and causing the death of more than 100,000 animals. "The Chilean State is not in a position to guarantee the right to water, since it is a private property. That is to say that water, today in Chile, can be bought, is sold or rented, "he explains.
A desiccated region
And today, as Rodrigo Mundaca reminds us, there is no more water in the rivers in the territory of the province of Petorca, in the region of Valparaíso. The reason: water is monopolized by large avocado plantations. "Consequently, as there is no water in the rivers either, the water cycle is completely broken", laments the activist. The water that is consumed therefore comes from tank trucks.
Because of the social crisis in the country, COP25 had to take place in Madrid rather than Chile. President Sebastian Piñera has given up on hosting the event after weeks of protests. Rodrigo Mundaca, he sees no inherent benefit in this summit. "Today, European multinationals are appropriating our environment, looting it, degrading it," he criticizes. Thus, according to the activist, it is essential to build a new model of development "socially just and ecologically healthier." […]”*
*https://www.francetvinfo.fr/monde/environnement/biodiversite/video-rivieres-assechees-enfants-assoiffes-la-face-cachee-des-cultures-d-avocats-au-chili_3747429.html (consulted on 18 February 2021)
Note that just on the other side of the hills are the 4 huge water reservoirs (photo 111 of this report) many times photographed and which are often used as illustrations for articles talking about the water shortage and the large monocultures of avocado trees.
- A water pipe in the bed of the Petorca river declared dry in 1997.*
Petorca, Petorca Province, Valparaíso Region, Chile - February 2020.
Here is an excerpt from an article on the water code in Chile:
“The legal and institutional framework remains regulated there by the Water Code of 1981, one of the neoliberal reforms implemented by the military regime of General Pinochet - in power between 1973 and 1990. This legislation responds to the principles of the free market, where the role of the state is reduced to a minimum. The action of the public authorities - through the General Directorate of Water (DGA) - is thus limited to granting "water rights": these are always associated with a maximum volume of water pumped per year (m3 / an) and at an instantaneous maximum flow rate (l / s or m3 / s). Once acquired, they can be sold or transferred without informing the DGA. The latter also assesses the level of resources and may decide to close, temporarily or permanently, overexploited watersheds and aquifers.”**
*https://www.liberation.fr/planete/2020/06/28/chili-sans-eau-en-pleine-pandemie-a-l-ombre-des-avocatiers_1792627/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://theconversation.com/au-chili-les-derives-des-marches-de-leau-117263 (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here is the website of the National Irrigation Commission:
https://www.cnr.gob.cl/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
In an interesting article we found this on the subject:
“At present, 136 municipalities are declared in a state of water emergency, or about 40% of Chilean municipalities. About 500,000 people receive drinking water via tankers. In September, President Piñera announced the release of $ 5 billion to improve irrigation infrastructure. To reduce livestock mortality and the fall in the number of bees, but also to limit the increase in fires, the government has just launched an awareness campaign for responsible management of the precious liquid.”*
*https://www.courrierinternational.com/article/secheresse-au-chili-le-manque-deau-frappe-surtout-les-petits-eleveurs (accessed February 18, 2021)
- Drilling in an agricultural property. There we understand that the machine has reached the water table because water gushes out.
Not far from Petorca, Petorca Province, Valparaíso Region, Chile - February 2020.
For information, on site, we are told that a borehole gives nothing at 40 meters and that drilling at 100 meters costs 160,000 euros. Petorca Province, Valparaíso Region, Chile - February 2020.
*https://www.liberation.fr/planete/2020/06/28/chili-sans-eau-en-pleine-pandemie-a-l-ombre-des-avocatiers_1792627/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
For information, on site, we are told that a borehole gives nothing at 40 meters and that drilling at 100 meters costs 160,000 euros. Petorca Province, Valparaíso Region, Chile - February 2020.
*https://www.liberation.fr/planete/2020/06/28/chili-sans-eau-en-pleine-pandemie-a-l-ombre-des-avocatiers_1792627/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
Small garden in a village where we had a picnic before reaching Petorca. Petorca Province, Valparaíso Region, Chile - February 2020.
In this article we found Rodrigo Mundaca's point of view, "spokesperson for Modatima, an association for the defense of access to water":
“ […] "It is a joke to lay the water crisis on the backs of the inhabitants," complains Rodrigo Mundaca […]. He refers here to 75% of the resource used by the agricultural sector against around 6.8% for domestic consumption.
[…] Chile is the only country to impose a property right on water.
This market favors large farmers to the detriment of small farmers, while opening the door to corruption and speculation. Faced with the scarcity of the resource, "water rights" have seen their value double or even triple depending on the region. Rodrigo Mundaca says:
In La Ligua, in the region of Valparaíso, the development of avocado cultivation has dried up rivers and groundwater in just a few years. Some families, the more fortunate, have a monopoly on these rights and, in addition, some collect water illegally, without being worried by the authorities. It’s looting!"
In the opinion of the environmental activist: the Minister of Agriculture, who did not follow up on our requests. "He and his family own 29,000 liters of water per second, which they use for the export of pears, apples and cherries. He is in the midst of a conflict of interest. We must change the Water Code for a fair sharing of the resource."[…]”*
*https://www.courrierinternational.com/article/secheresse-au-chili-le-manque-deau-frappe-surtout-les-petits-eleveurs (accessed February 18, 2021)
- "Cultural Cordillera" closed swimming pool.
Petorca Province, Valparaíso Region, Chile - February 2020.
Here is what we read about the drought hitting Chile:
“[…] The Petorca river was declared dry in 1997, followed by the La Ligua river, in the neighboring valley, a few years later. Central Chile is not immune to climate change, and since 2010, it has experienced its worst drought in more than a century. […]
The phenomenon is aggravated by intensive agriculture and poor water management in the region. Favored by the neoliberal model imposed under the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990) and the privatization of water from 1980, large farmers bought many rights to use water, and planted in the region thousands of hectares of avocado and citrus trees. The bright green trees are now spread out on the hillside, or along the dry rivers, and contrast with the rare cacti that can be seen on the heights of the valleys of the province. Chile, a mining and agricultural country, is the world's third largest exporter of avocados. 55% of these export avocados were sold in Europe in 2017. […] ”*
*https://www.liberation.fr/planete/2020/06/28/chili-sans-eau-en-pleine-pandemie-a-l-ombre-des-avocatiers_1792627/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here is what we read in two articles about the grabbing of water for avocado crops in Chile:
“[…] "In Chile, inequalities are largely based on the fact that water, land and natural resources have been transformed into goods," denounces Rodrigo Mundaca, spokesperson for the association for the defense of the Modatima environment. The neoliberal model makes it possible to leave inhabitants without water, while the extractive industry accumulates wealth."
For him, Petorca is a local illustration of the inequalities denounced by the social movement born last October in Chile. This trained agronomist, who tirelessly denounces the lack of access to water in rural areas of the province, also points the finger at “water theft” by large farmers. As proof, he has the fines received by several of them in recent years for undeclared wells, or for having extracted more water than the maximum authorized quantity. […]”*
“Coronavirus. Chile's criminal avocados
The Chilean state, with its culture of avocados which is drying up the country, was called to order by the High Commissioner for Human Rights on Thursday, August 20, 2020. In the context of a pandemic, the United Nations summon him to prefer the health of its inhabitants to that of its economy. […]”**
*https://www.liberation.fr/planete/2020/06/28/chili-sans-eau-en-pleine-pandemie-a-l-ombre-des-avocatiers_1792627/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.ouest-france.fr/monde/chili/coronavirus-les-avocats-criminels-du-chili-6944556 (accessed February 18, 2021)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPnqk-PyFC8 (accessed February 18, 2021). Chincolco (not far from Petorca), Petorca Province, Valparaíso Region, Chile - February 2020.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPnqk-PyFC8 (accessed February 18, 2021). Chincolco (not far from Petorca), Petorca Province, Valparaíso Region, Chile - February 2020.
“ "Is it okay for you to keep consuming avocados when some kids don't even know what a river is?"
[…] And today, as Rodrigo Mundaca reminds us, there is no more water in the rivers in the territory of the province of Petorca, in the region of Valparaíso. The reason: water is monopolized by large avocado plantations."Consequently, as there is no water in the rivers either, the water cycle is completely broken", laments the activist. The water that is consumed therefore comes from tank trucks.
Because of the social crisis in the country, COP25 had to take place in Madrid rather than Chile. President Sebastian Piñera has given up on hosting the event after weeks of protests. Rodrigo Mundaca, he sees no inherent benefit in this summit. "Today, European multinationals are appropriating our environment, looting it, degrading it," he criticizes. Thus, according to the activist, it is essential to build a new model of development "socially just and ecologically healthier." ”*
*https://www.francetvinfo.fr/monde/environnement/biodiversite/video-rivieres-assechees-enfants-assoiffes-la-face-cachee-des-cultures-d-avocats-au-chili_3747429.html (consulted on 18 February 2021)
“After an unusually long period of drought, Chilean rivers and water reservoirs have reached historically low levels […] As the country is hit by an exceptional drought, large agricultural owners are monopolizing water resources. Small herders have no choice but to watch their animals die or go wild. […]”*
*https://www.courrierinternational.com/article/secheresse-au-chili-le-manque-deau-frappe-surtout-les-petits-eleveurs (accessed February 18, 2021)
- Plantation next to the Pedegua bridge.
Chile - February 2020.
On the internet, we read this about the Culimo dam:
“[…] The Culimo reservoir is a hydraulic water storage structure for agricultural use located in the Coquimbo region, Chile, more precisely inside the Quilimarí river basin, not far from the town of Tilama 51 km south-east of Los Vilos. Its capacity is 10,000,000 m³ and it is designed to provide 85% security for the irrigation of around 350 ha. […]”*
*https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embalse_Culimo (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here is what we can read on the internet about the fight for the deprivatization of water:
“[…] A campaign to collect signatures - "Agua de Todos" - so that water "can once again be considered a national good for public use, as is the case in most countries of the world", anticipated Senator Adriana Muñoz, president of the Special Commission on Water Resources and Guido Girardi, author of a motion to nationalize said resource.
The measure was announced after the statements of the Minister of Public Works, Juan Andrés Fontaine, insofar as indications will be sent to the draft reform of the water code and that "water rights in perpetuity / indefinite" will be issued to give "legal certainty" to the current owners.
Senator Girardi said that "we must organize all the opposition and those who, beyond their legitimate political or ideological views, are convinced that water must belong to all Chileans. There is the fight so that water belongs to everyone and that everyone is transversal and, in this climate change situation, we are risking our lives". […]”*
*https://www.senado.cl/iniciaran-campana-para-nacionalizar-el-agua-y-lamentan-que-el-gobierno/senado/2019-01-28/185502.html (accessed February 18, 2021 )
On the internet we read this about the mega-drought that is raging in Chile:
“[…] Chile has known for a decade a mega-drought that mainly affected the central zone of the country, however, there is already talk that this phenomenon - which covers a vast territory between the regions of Coquimbo and Los Lagos - is the the longest with continuous years of deficit of precipitation and which, therefore, would be the greatest drought of the last 60 years in Chile. […]”*
“[…] According to climatologist Raúl Cordero, the process of desertification has been underway for several years. The shift from a semi-arid to arid climate in the most populous part of the country is a reality: "Drought is a natural mechanism, but it is amplified by climate change. The El Niño phenomenon, causing heavy rainfall over the Andean countries, had no influence during the 2010s in Chile." […]”**
*https://www.theclinic.cl/2019/09/22/sequia-en-chile-10-datos-que-evidencian-la-urgencia-de-la-problematica/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.courrierinternational.com/article/secheresse-au-chili-le-manque-deau-frappe-surtout-les-petits-eleveurs (accessed February 18, 2021)
- "El Frances is thirsty" "Water is a right and not a privilege"
On the road to the Las Palmas tunnel. Province Petorca, Region Valparaíso, Chile - February 2020.
Here is what we read on the internet about Rodrigo Mundaca and the drought in Chile:
“[…] Rodrigo Mundaca fights for access to water in Chile where this natural resource is managed like private property or real estate. In the region of Petorca, these avocado crops are thriving, despite the severe water crisis and the unprecedented drought that hit Chile, leaving 600,000 people without access to water and causing the death of more than 100,000 animals. "The Chilean State is not in a position to guarantee the right to water, since it is a private property. That is to say that water, today in Chile, can be bought, is sold or rented," he explains. […]”*
*https://www.francetvinfo.fr/monde/environnement/biodiversite/video-rivieres-assechees-enfants-assoiffes-la-face-cachee-des-cultures-d-avocats-au-chili_3747429.html (consulted on 18 February 2021)
On the road to the Las Palmas tunnel. Province Petorca, Region Valparaíso, Chile - February 2020.
Here is what we read on the internet about the drought in Chile and its impact on livestock:
“[…] 6. The impact on animals:
10,000 animals have died between the regions of Coquimbo and Maule, Valparaíso being the most affected, where 30% of the dead animals are cattle and 70% goats and sheep. An estimated 50,000 animals have been affected by the drought. […]”*
“[…] The situation is even worse when you consider that with lean cattle the prices per animal have fallen sharply while the value of the grass (or fodder) to feed them has exploded.
"For a calf, they paid up to 200,000 pesos (US $ 275) and now they only pay 60,000 (US $ 82),” says Aldo. And he adds: "If you don't have the resources, you can't buy fodder ... that's why people make the decision to sell their animals at any price so they don't continue. to die." […] ”**
*https://www.theclinic.cl/2019/09/22/sequia-en-chile-10-datos-que-evidencian-la-urgencia-de-la-problematica/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-49825857 (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here is what we can read on the internet about water in Chile:
“[…] Chilean law provides that water is a public good, but almost all exploitation rights belong to private individuals. A situation denounced by demonstrators since the start of the social crisis in October 2019 who criticize a socio-economic system where the private sector prevails in areas such as health, education, pensions and water management.
"Water can be bought, sold, rented" […]”*
*https://www.geo.fr/environnement/au-chili-une-secheresse-h historique-en-pleine-crise-du-coronavirus-200384 (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here a tanker truck loads water to take it to a farm. Not far from Petorca, Valparaíso Region, Chile - February 2020.
Here is what we can read on the internet about water in Chile:
“Chile is one of the few countries which has privatized water and has pursued an ultra-liberal policy of managing this resource since the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. Subject to the law of the market, water is bought like title deeds. In the region of the avocado plantations of Pétorca, the fruit trees are watered abundantly while the population lives under rationing. This privatization of water is at the heart of the Chilean revolt of recent months.”*
“[…] Lately, the Ministry of Agriculture declared the regions of Coquimbo (north), Valparaíso (center) and O'Higgins (south) "areas of agricultural crisis" and several localities are in water scarcity and register significant losses in agricultural production, which occupies a prominent place among Chilean exports. […]”**
*https://www.france24.com/fr/20201014-chili-eau-privatisation-constitution-manifestation (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.courrierinternational.com/article/secheresse-au-chili-le-manque-deau-frappe-surtout-les-petits-eleveurs (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here is what we can read on the internet about water in Chile:
“[…] Currently, 56 municipalities are under decree of water shortage in five regions of Chile: Coquimbo, Valparaíso and Metropolitana, O'Higgins and Maule. 116 municipalities have been declared agricultural emergency zones.
According to the government, river flows in these areas show deficits of up to 84% compared to historical averages. […]”*
“[…] According to the first report of the National Water Office, which was submitted to the President of the Republic, Sebastián Piñera, it is stated that "the agricultural sector is the largest user of drinking water in the Chile with 72%, followed by drinking water, industrial consumption and mining use, with 12%, 7% and 4% respectively, and the remaining 5% are associated with the livestock sector and the use consumption in electricity production," explained Óscar Cristi, director of the department, to El Dínamo General de Eau (DGA) of the Ministry of Public Works (MOP). […]”**
*https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-49825857 (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.eldinamo.cl/ambiente/2020/04/04/agua-y-sequia-cuales-son-las-industrias-que-mas-emplean-este-recurso-y-que-estan- haciendo-para-darle-un-uso-mas-eficiente / (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here is what we can read on the internet about water in Chile:
“[…] "Climate change is here to stay and we must act," Agriculture Minister Antonio Walker told BBC Mundo.
The Secretary of State adds that "desertification is a reality and that the big challenge now is to know how to face these degraded soils and transform them into organic and carbon-rich materials".
To do this, Walker says large irrigation works must be built.
"We did not make the irrigation infrastructure to take advantage of the water. We need to make reservoirs, a new water institutionality, reuse of wastewater, etc.", he says.
"It is a very difficult season and it is more serious than that of the year 68 because, with the same rainfall, we have a much larger agriculture, economy and population," added the Minister. […]”*
*https//www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-49825857 (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here is what we can read on the internet about water in Chile:
“[…] At present, 136 municipalities are declared in a state of water emergency, or about 40% of Chilean municipalities. About 500,000 people receive drinking water via tankers. In September, President Piñera announced the release of $ 5 billion to improve irrigation infrastructure. To reduce livestock mortality and the fall in the number of bees, but also to limit the increase in fires, the government has just launched an awareness campaign for responsible management of the precious liquid. […]”**
*https://www.liberation.fr/planete/2020/06/28/chili-sans-eau-en-pleine-pandemie-a-l-ombre-des-avocatiers_1792627/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.courrierinternational.com/article/secheresse-au-chili-le-manque-deau-frappe-surtout-les-petits-eleveurs (accessed February 18, 2021) **https://www.courrierinternational.com/article/secheresse-au-chili-le-manque-deau-frappe-surtout-les-petits-eleveurs (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here is an excerpt from a text we read on the Monte Patria Town Hall website:
“[…] It was the mayor Camilo Ossandón himself who informed the mayor Lucía Pinto that in the coming months some drinking water systems in rural areas could present problems, and from the 1700 people who are today supplied with drinking water by tankers, in a few months this number could exceed 3,500 inhabitants, which would mean nearly 10% of the population of the municipality with problems of access to drinking water at the beginning of 2020. [… ]”**
*https://www.liberation.fr/planete/2020/06/28/chili-sans-eau-en-pleine-pandemie-a-l-ombre-des-avocatiers_1792627/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.munimontepatria.cl/web/index.php/blog-noticias-monte-patria/675-alcalde-de-monte-patria-entrega-propuestas-de-medidas-para-enfrentar-la- sequia-y-el-cambio-climatico-a-intendenta-lucia-pinto (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here it is at a fruit and vegetable seller. Monte Patria, Povince de Limarí, Coquimbo Region, Chile - February 2020.
Here is an excerpt from a text we read on the Monte Patria Town Hall website:
“[…] The mayor of Monte Patria presents proposals for measures to combat drought and climate change to Intendenta Lucia Pinto
Thirteen proposals for actions, classified as immediate, short-term and medium-term measures, were those presented by Mayor Camilo Ossandón Espinoza to the first regional authority, this in the context of drought and climate change, and taking as a backdrop the fact that Monte Patria is one of the municipalities most affected by the lack of rain and snow. This is the study of the International Organization for Migration IOM, which indicates that Monte Patria is the first municipality to experience the migration process due to climate change, one of the warning voices that warns against the serious situation affecting the inhabitants of this municipality in which the work of agriculture is the main engine of development. […]”**
*https://www.liberation.fr/planete/2020/06/28/chili-sans-eau-en-pleine-pandemie-a-l-ombre-des-avocatiers_1792627/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.munimontepatria.cl/web/index.php/blog-noticias-monte-patria/675-alcalde-de-monte-patria-entrega-propuestas-de-medidas-para-enfrentar-la- sequia-y-el-cambio-climatico-a-intendenta-lucia-pinto (accessed February 18, 2021)
- Not far from Freirina, Province of Huasco, Region of Atacama, Chile - February 2020.
Here is what we can read on the internet about water in Chile:
“ "Living without water is terrible": central Chile is hit hard by an unprecedented drought that is drying up rivers, emptying dam reservoirs and making residents more vulnerable to the coronavirus epidemic.
"Today, there are more than 400,000 families, or nearly 1.5 million people, whose daily consumption of 50 liters of water is provided by tankers," Rodrigo Mundaca told AFP, spokesperson for the Movement for the Defense of Access to Water, Land and the Protection of the Environment (Modatima). […]”**
*https://www.liberation.fr/planete/2020/06/28/chili-sans-eau-en-pleine-pandemie-a-l-ombre-des-avocatiers_1792627/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.sciencesetavenir.fr/nature-environnement/au-chili-une-secheresse-h historique-en-pleine-crise-du-coronavirus_143216 (accessed February 18, 2021)
"Of course, we don't have water, but still enough to fill a water bottle for the road."
- Not far from Casablanca, Province of Valparaíso, Region of Valparaíso.
- Not far from Andocollo, Province of Elqui, Region of Coquimbo.
Chile - February 2020.
Here is what we can read on the internet about water in Chile:
“[…] Water tankers travel daily on roads and dirt tracks to supply homes where water is kept in cans.
"In a pandemic situation like today, this shows once again that when there is a model of private appropriation of water (...), it does not guarantee the human right to water and makes communities even more fragile", denounces Rodrigo Mundaca.
Chilean law provides that water is a public good, but almost all exploitation rights belong to private individuals.
A situation denounced by demonstrators since the start of the social crisis in October 2019 who criticize a socio-economic system where the private sector prevails in areas such as health, education, pensions and water management. […]”*
*https://www.sciencesetavenir.fr/nature-environnement/au-chili-une-secheresse-h historique-en-pleine-crise-du-coronavirus_143216 (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here is what we read on the internet about water in Chile:
“[…] "If some localities do not have water, it is regrettable but it is because of the irresponsibility of the State, which has not made the necessary investments" to dig deep wells, replies Alfonso Ríos, president of the Agropetorca union, which brings together most of the large farmers in the province. He takes a dim view of the referendum scheduled for October 25, for or against the abandonment of the current constitution, decried by Chileans who took to the streets during the historic social movement launched last October. […]”*
*https://www.liberation.fr/planete/2020/06/28/chili-sans-eau-en-pleine-pandemie-a-l-ombre-des-avocatiers_1792627/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here is what we can read on the internet about water in Chile:
“[…] "The privatization of water is guaranteed by this constitution, which was written expressly to put in place the neoliberal economic model" imposed by the dictatorship and maintained after the return to democracy, recalls the opposition senator of Juan Ignacio Latorre. A member of Frente Amplio, a left-wing coalition resulting from the student social movement of 2011, he denounces the agricultural lobby which slows down any draft reform of the water code by Parliament. He sees in the referendum of October 25 as an opportunity to draw a line on the privatization of water, to recognize water as a public good, and a human right. […]”*
*https://www.liberation.fr/planete/2020/06/28/chili-sans-eau-en-pleine-pandemie-a-l-ombre-des-avocatiers_1792627/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here is what we can read on the internet about water in Chile:
“[…] "In Chile, inequalities are largely based on the fact that water, land and natural resources have been transformed into goods,” denounces Rodrigo Mundaca, spokesperson for the association for the defense of the Modatima environment. The neoliberal model makes it possible to leave inhabitants without water, while the extractive industry accumulates wealth." […]”*
*https://www.liberation.fr/planete/2020/06/28/chili-sans-eau-en-pleine-pandemie-a-l-ombre-des-avocatiers_1792627/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
On the subject we found this on the internet:
“[…] The gravity of the situation is such that even the Minister of Public Works, Alfredo Moreno, declared in January of this year that 'Chile is drying up and we must all be part of the solution'. But which productive sectors use this resource the most and what are they doing to use it more efficiently? […]
*https://www.eldinamo.cl/ambiente/2020/04/04/agua-y-sequia-cuales-son-las-industrias-que-mas-emplean-este-recurso-y-que-estan-haciendo -para-darle-un-uso-mas-eficiente / (accessed February 18, 2021)
Below, the trucks are busy and a huge water tank emerges. Not far from the tunnel in Las Palmas, Chile - February 2020.
About this site we read this on the internet:
“[…] Chile launches tender for US $ 160 million water reservoir
The Chilean Ministry of Public Works (MOP) has launched the call for tenders for the construction of the Las Palmas water reservoir, a project that will require an investment of nearly 4 million development units (UF, 160 million dollars at the current exchange rate). […]
The Las Palmas Dam project aims to help secure the water supply for irrigation in the Petorca Valley during the dry season. The project includes the construction of a new dam for the reservoir of Las Palmas, near Petorca in the region of Valparaíso (V). The reservoir will have the capacity to store up to 55 Mm3 of water from the Petorca River, which will help irrigate 2,859 ha of land in the municipalities of Petorca, Cabildo, La Ligua and Papudo. MOP's notice can be read here, in Spanish. […]”*
*http://www.hgomezgroup.com/en/2017/07/31/chile-construction-tenders-water-reservoir-and-hospital/? (accessed February 18, 2021)
“[…] The number of conflicts over water has steadily increased in recent years. The granting of rights to those who request them without a precise knowledge of water resources has led to the overexploitation of certain aquifers, as well as the declaration of restrictions in more than a hundred of them.
These are concentrated in the arid and semi-arid north of Chile. Mining activity (copper in the Andes, nitrate and lithium in the Atacama Desert), which requires a lot of water to process the ore, exerts constant pressure on rights owners, particularly farmers. […]”*
*https://theconversation.com/au-chili-les-derives-des-marches-de-leau-117263 (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here's what we read about the drought in Chile:
“[…] According to meteorologist María Alejandra Bustos, although droughts comparable to the current drought have been observed in Chile - such as those of 1998, 1988, 1968 and 1924 - the big difference is that the current one occurs after a period of 10 dry years in a row.
"This gives it more acute characteristics. And, in addition, the frequency of these events has increased," she told BBC Mundo. […]”*
*https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-49825857 (accessed February 18, 2021)
On the internet, we read this about avocado cultivation in Chile:
“[…] Since the 1990s, consumers have flocked to avocados. This is particularly true for the United States and Europe, the main consumers of the green fruit after Mexico. Today, the main producers are in Mexico, Chile and Africa. In less than 30 years, the space dedicated to avocado cultivation has increased by 800% in Chile, from 2,000 hectares to more than 16,000 today.
Long synonymous with economic dynamism for Chileans, the advocado now threatens the daily life of citizens. Fields stretch as far as the eye can see at the foot of the Chilean mountains. Little by little, they replaced the traditional crops of potatoes, tomatoes and orchards. The landscape and the living conditions of the inhabitants have gradually been transformed. In 30 years of expansion, avocado cultivation has taken its toll. In the province of Petorca, central Chile, from the wide river that was still present ten years ago, only a thin trickle of water remains, reports National Geographic. Now, plastic waste has taken the place of fish at the bottom of the dry bed. Without water, there is no evaporation and therefore, no precipitation: it is a vicious circle.
In fact, each cultivated hectare needs to be irrigated with more than 100,000 liters of water per day (the equivalent of the water consumption of 1,000 inhabitants). A kilo of avocado (about five fruits) alone requires 1,000 liters of water. In a country where water has been a privatized resource since 1981, citizens are destitute, and are forced to leave the region. Without water to live, wash or water the crops and feed the livestock, they have to bring it in by truck.”*
*https://www.lesoir.be/244802/article/2019-08-30/au-chili-la-culture-de-lavocat-prive-les-habitants-deau (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here's what we read about the drought in Chile:
“[…] The intense drought that has hit the South American country and has lasted for at least ten years. This season, however, has been the most brutal.
In the city of Santiago, for example, only 81mm of precipitation has dropped so far this year, which is a shortfall of 75% according to the Chilean meteorological directorate. In Valparaíso, 82 mm fell while the "normal to date" is 397 mm.
The same scenario is repeated in different areas affected by drought, with a deficit of more than 85% in towns like La Serena, in the north of the country.
And the forecast is not encouraging as the spring-summer season has only just begun and temperatures in central Chile are already above 30 ºC. […]”*
*https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-49825857 (accessed February 18, 2021)
In a fairly comprehensive BBC article on the Chilean situation, the title of which is "Mega-drought" in Chile: the catastrophic consequences of the greatest water crisis in the last 50 years" we have isolated an excerpt to caption this Photo :
“[…] According to the government, river flows in these areas show deficits of up to 84% compared to historical averages. […]”*
There is also this found on the internet:
“[…] The municipalities that lack drinking water are also those that experience the greatest social inequalities in Chile.
Fundación Amulén has reviewed various studies and cross-referenced various available information, in order to visualize the areas that are in the most critical state with regard to their socio-economic situation and the availability of drinking water. The rural municipalities of Coquimbo and Valparaíso have a lack of drinking water and a vulnerability of over 80%.
In Andacollo, Combaralá and Putre, more than 95% of the population belongs to socio-economic segments D and E and they have a lack of drinking water through the network greater than 67%. In the rural areas of La Serena and Ovalle, more than 1,200 homes are supplied by tanker, where the vulnerability is over 85%. […]”**
*https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-49825857 (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://codexverde.cl/comunas-carentes-de-agua-potable-son-tambien-las-que-presentan-mayor-inequidad-social-en-chile/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
Already in 2018 the situation was alarming here, see the article below:
“The drought is concentrated in the municipalities located between Copiapó and Los Vilos
According to a researcher from the University of Chile, this situation was accentuated by the La Niña event.
"The area of Copiapó in Los Vilos presents the greatest water deficit in magnitude, perhaps due to a condition of structural deficit in this territory, accustomed to prolonged droughts", indicates the study Radiography of water, which will be released this Tuesday. context of the Water Week seminar, to be held in Santiago.
According to University of Chile researcher Fernando Santibáñez, although there is a more complex situation in this area, the whole country is below normal. According to their estimates, the deficit ranges from 20% to 35%.
"This is to be expected, because we are experiencing a La Niña event which means cold waters in the ocean", explains the academic, who predicts that this phenomenon, which brings less rain, will end in May to make way to normal rainfall, but they will not overcome the drought situation.
The x-ray of the water situation indicates that this deficit is not minor. The study recalls that Chile was among the 10 countries with the highest expenditure associated with disasters in 2015, reaching 3.1 billion US dollars, and of this amount more than 45% were used to cover shortages. of water.
But the problem is not only superficial. “When we analyze the issue of aquifers, they are on a significant downward trend; 101 out of 145 wells that were analyzed showed a negative trend, ”explains Ulrike Broschek, Deputy Director of Sustainable Development at Fundación Chile. […]”*
*https://www.latercera.com/tendencias/noticia/sequia-se-concentra-comunas-ubicadas-copiapo-los-vilos/113481/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
On this region, we have been able to read many articles like this one whose title is "Monte Patria: the first climatic expatriates of the country". Here is an excerpt:
“[…] Camilo Ossandón, Mayor of Monte Patria, says the drought has persisted for 15 years and that there is a structural delay in improving conditions imposed by climate change. Agriculture represents 75% of the active population of the municipality. “We obviously have to make public investments to maintain living conditions. 17% of the population of Monte Patria (a figure updated by the mayor) has left in recent years, around five thousand people (…). Of the 33,000 inhabitants of the town, we now have 1,428 registered looking for a job, ie nearly double the same date last year”.
The communal chief says that there are about 80 market gardeners who have no water. In addition, there are areas such as the Huatulame River that have been severely affected, as it is the main fruit export valley, concentrating more than 50% of the communal table grape production, with 1,700 hectares. The municipality estimates that there is a reduction of 23% of its cultivated area, which implies a loss of two million cases of grapes. […]”*
*https://laboratorio.latercera.com/tiempo-de-actuar/noticia/desplazados-por-cambio-climatico-en-chile/838400/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
Not far from El Palqui and Monte Patria. Province of Limarí, Region Coquimbo, Chile - February 2020.
On the internet we found a very interesting document which informs us that in this area it was already very serious in 2015. Here are two extracts:
“The Northern Agricultural Society (SAN) presented a difficult report on the recorded water situation in the Coquimbo region, which presents the most critical point of water scarcity in the past five decades.
The figures do not lie and reveal the complex situation that exists in this region of northern Chile. According to the report prepared by the Supervisory Boards of the Coquimbo region, the amount of water stored reached historic minimum levels, so much so that in December of 2014 there were only 88,673 millions, which equates to a 6.7% of the total capacity.
As for the 120,786 hectares irrigated in the region, the thousands of 73 (60%) have ceased to be irrigated due to the severe drought which is already raging for the ninth consecutive year and which has seriously affected small, medium and medium-sized regions. large farmers, as well as families linked to the rural world.
Of the region's total irrigated hectares, 26,518 are in the province of Elqui, a region where, during the last campaign, 10,870 hectares equivalent to 40.99% remained to be irrigated.
In the province of Limari, the situation is more complex. These focus on the 50% of the region's total irrigated area (71,462 hectares) and the 72.64% (51,913 hectares) has already been irrigated, leaving only 19,549 hectares available for cultivation.
"The areas that have stopped watering and drying their crops are the sectors of Cogotí, Huatulame, Punitaqui and Pama, since the water supply for this season is nil," the document explains. (…) "The irrigated area has been reduced by 60.46%, which is equivalent to 73,033 hectares less at the regional level, which represents a significant decrease in local agricultural productivity. This situation envisages a minimum historical figure since the boom of agriculture in the region of Coquimbo, reaching only 47,753 irrigated hectares, a figure even lower than the 2007 season, year during which the last regional water crisis existed. Cadastral around 70,000 productive hectares under irrigation", indicates the document. […]”*
*https://blueberriesconsulting.com/fr/escasez-hidrica-impacta-a-la-fruticultura-de-la-region-de-coquimbo/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here's what we read about the drought in Chile:
“After an unusually long period of drought, Chilean rivers and reservoirs have reached historic lows […]. While the country is hit by an exceptional drought, the large agricultural owners monopolize water resources. […]”*
*https://www.courrierinternational.com/article/secheresse-au-chili-le-manque-deau-frappe-surtout-les-petits-eleveurs (accessed February 18, 2021)
During the end of our tour of France by bike, we photographed the dry rivers in the south of the country; and in Chile it is those where there is still water that attract our attention! Chile - February 2020.
In many of the articles that we found on the net we could read the shocking words of Rodrigo Mundaca and the testimonies of people who used to bathe in rivers which are now dry:
“Is it okay for you to keep consuming avocados when some kids don't even know what a river is?*
"In Chile, inequalities are largely based on the fact that water, land and natural resources have been transformed into goods," denounces Rodrigo Mundaca, spokesperson for the association for the defense of the environment Modatima. The neoliberal model makes it possible to leave inhabitants without water, while the extractive industry accumulates wealth.”**
“[…] "We bathed in the river, we fished there, it was so nice," recalls this 52-year-old housewife. "And we had so much fruit that we didn't have to buy it. When I tell all this to my grandchildren, they think I'm telling them stories." Over the years, water has become increasingly scarce in the stream and the small irrigation canal below the house. […]”**
*https://www.francetvinfo.fr/monde/environnement/biodiversite/video-rivieres-assechees-enfants-assoiffes-la-face-cachee-des-cultures-d-avocats-au-chili_3747429.html (consulted on 18 February 2021)
**https://www.liberation.fr/planete/2020/06/28/chili-sans-eau-en-pleine-pandemie-a-l-ombre-des-avocatiers_1792627/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here is what we read about the drought and the water issue in Chile:
“ [...] "It is a joke to put the water crisis on the backs of the inhabitants", complains Rodrigo Mundaca, spokesperson for Modatima, an association for the defense of access to water. He refers here to 75% of the resource used by the agricultural sector against around 6.8% for domestic consumption.
For this professor of agronomy, one of the main causes of drought is to be found in the current Constitution, drafted in 1980 during the dictatorship of General Pinochet (1973-1990). It stipulates that a person or a company can have a right of access to water; a title that can be transferred, rented or sold, such as a house. Chile is the only country to impose a property right on water.
This market favors large farmers to the detriment of small farmers, while opening the door to corruption and speculation. Faced with the scarcity of the resource, "water rights" have seen their value double or even triple depending on the region. […]”*
*https://www.courrierinternational.com/article/secheresse-au-chili-le-manque-deau-frappe-surtout-les-petits-eleveurs (accessed February 18, 2021)
- Petorca river dried up since 1997* with Manuel Montt in the distance. Petorca Province, Valparaíso Region, Chile - February 2020.
*https://www.liberation.fr/planete/2020/06/28/chili-sans-eau-en-pleine-pandemie-a-l-ombre-des-avocatiers_1792627/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
- "Hamburg Süd". Packaging unit for fruit grown in the surrounding area.
Very close to El Palqui. Province of Limarí, Region Coquimbo, Chile - February 2020.
Here is what we read on the internet and on the Hamburg Süd website about this company and about the logistics needed to transport Chile's massive fruit export:
“[…] The Hamburg Südamerikanische Dampfschifffahrts-Gesellschaft (HSDG), or more simply Hamburg Süd, is a German shipping company headquartered in Hamburg. It was founded by eleven traders on November 4, 1871 as a joint stock company. […] Refrigerated transport began in 1930 for the company, with fruit cargoes crossing in a cold room by boat. This leads to the construction of specific refrigerated boats. […] Limited partnership specializing in container ships belonging to the German group Dr Oetker. […] In December 2016, Mærsk announced the acquisition of Hamburg Süd, which at that time had 5,960 employees with a turnover of 6.73 billion dollars. […]”*
“[…] Whether it's perishable goods, pharmaceuticals or flowers, the transport of temperature-sensitive products requires an uninterrupted cold supply chain to maintain quality. As one of the world's leading refrigerated transport providers, we know exactly what it is. To increase transparency throughout the supply chain, we use our Remote Container Management (RCM) infrastructure. Our refrigerated containers are equipped with RCM devices. The use of this advanced data transfer technology enables real-time cargo monitoring. […]”**
*https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburg_Süd (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.hamburgsud-line.com/liner/en/liner_services/services_products/reefercargo/index.html (accessed February 18, 2021)
On the internet and on the Hamburg Süd website we read this about the company Mærsk:
“A.P. Møller-Mærsk is a large shipowner operating all over the world, and the largest company in Denmark. Also known under the simple name of Mærsk, the group is present in maritime transport with Maersk Line, the first shipping company and the largest container ship owner in the world. The group is also active in the fields of shipbuilding, oil and gas exploration, retail trade, air transport with Mærsk Air, and other industrial activities. […]”*
“Hamburg, February 4, 2021. Hamburg Süd, which is known for its long-lasting and strong customer relationships, has successfully established its brand within A.P. Moller-Maersk. Since the acquisition of Hamburg Süd, the company has gradually integrated and achieved significant synergies while retaining local autonomy and thus ensuring the flexibility necessary to meet customer needs. […]”**
*https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maersk (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.hamburgsud-line.com/liner/cn/liner_services/news_detail_1367480.html (accessed February 18, 2021)
- Storage shed of the company Del Monte.
Not far from La Serena, Chile - February 2020.
Here is what we read on the internet and on Del Monte's website about this company and its speech:
“[…] Del Monte Foods is an American food company, involved in both production and distribution. It is notably one of the world leaders in the production of canned foods. The company was acquired by shareholders of its production subsidiary in the Philippines in the 2000s and continues to operate the Del Monte brand in the United States. […]”*
“[…] At Del Monte, our […] mission is to feed families by creating brands with perfectly healthy and carefully prepared quality products. We believe our future is shaped by the choices we make, no matter how small. We believe in nurturing the goodness of the Earth today to grow a healthier and more hopeful future. […]”**
*https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Del_Monte_Foods (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.delmontefoods.com/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
- Daily scene, the road, the tent and this evening our host offers us a good cazuela. Not far from Quilimarí. Coquimbo Region.
Chile - February 2020.
We find the recipe for the cazuela on the internet:
“La cazuela is a typical dish from Argentina and Chile, made with ground beef or chicken, and various vegetables: pumpkin; corn, potato. Sometimes rice and other vegetables are added to it.
This dish is a blend of traditional Spanish and local cuisine and looks older than you might think. […]”*
*https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cazuela (accessed February 18, 2021)
To our astonishment, one morning on a small road with very little traffic we found a rest area for cyclists!
During this trip we very rarely met cyclists, whether Chilean or international, but it was perhaps not the season. We imagine that in Patagonia it is something else and that cycle tourists are probably more numerous.
On the heights of the Río Hurtado towards Samo Alto. Province of Limarí, Coquimbo Region, Chile - February 2020.
We read this about the dam on the internet:
“The Cogotí reservoir is located in the Coquimbo region, 19 km north of Combarbalá. It has a maximum capacity of 150 million m³. On its shores there are camping areas and a beach suitable for swimming.”*
*https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embalse_Cogotí (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here is an excerpt from an interesting document on the filling of the large dams in the region dating from July 1, 2020. We learn that after our passage it rained but that this did not allow the Cogotí dam to fill up. -beyond 26% of its capacity:
“[…] According to Pablo Herman, Minister of Public Works, the last rains have allowed“ the recharge of certain water tables, but we continue with a significant water deficit ”. […]
"The call is to continue working with water users, irrigators and rural drinking water systems, to consciously use and care for the water we have stored," Herman said. […]
On the other hand, in Limarí - the largest reservoir in the north of the country - La Paloma reached 41 percent of water accumulation, Recoleta 63 percent and further Cogotí with 26 percent.”*
*https://www.cooperativa.cl/noticias/pais/region-de-coquimbo/pese-a-lluvias-en-la-region-de-coquimbo-los-embalses-no-llegan-al-50/2020 -07-01 / 163142.html (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here is an excerpt from an article that talks about drought-affected cattle and this region:
“[…] According to climatologist Raúl Cordero, the process of desertification has been underway for several years. The shift from a semi-arid to arid climate in the most populous part of the country is a reality: “Drought is a natural mechanism, but it is amplified by climate change. The El Niño phenomenon, causing heavy rainfall over the Andean countries, had no influence during the 2010s in Chile.”[…]
According to the researcher, Chile is experiencing its first internal climate refugees. “Faced with the lack of water combined with increased demand, some are forced to move south. This is inevitable, as climate models predict a rise in temperatures in the decades to come.”
Some breeders did not wait to transhumance over an unprecedented distance. Juan Carlos Codoceo is one of them. In early January, he got behind the wheel of one of six trucks carrying 1,150 goats to reach the green meadows of San Fabián, at the gateway to Patagonia.
We are forced to travel 850 km to save the herds. In Punitaqui [400 km north of Santiago], more than 50% of the cattle died last year. The regional government bears the costs of transport, but we know it will not be forever. […]”*
*https://www.courrierinternational.com/article/secheresse-au-chili-le-manque-deau-frappe-surtout-les-petits-eleveurs (accessed February 18, 2021)
Excerpt from another article about this alarming drought situation:
“[…] According to the Chilean government and experts, this is the deepest water crisis since 1968.
The lack of rainfall caused the collapse of irrigation systems in various provinces of Chile, and even thousands of people had to be supplied with water from tankers.
But perhaps the most devastating figure left by this "mega-drought" - as it is called today in Chile - is that of dead animals: to date, there are 34,000.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, there are also 470,000 head of goats, 170,000 cattle and 150,000 sheep that are in "bad condition", meaning that the animals are malnourished and weak.
The situation is even worse when you consider that with lean cattle the prices per animal have fallen sharply while the value of the grass (or fodder) to feed them has exploded.
"For a calf, they paid up to 200,000 pesos (US $ 275) and now they only pay 60,000 (US $ 82)," says Aldo. And he adds: "If you don't have the resources, you can't buy fodder ... that's why people make the decision to sell their animals at any price so they don't continue. to die."[…]”*
*https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-49825857 (accessed February 18, 2021)
On the internet, we can read this about drought and its consequences for livestock:
“[…] "The industry is at a crossroads," explains the president of the Association of Breeders of Limarí. "Those who have the means will move to the South and the rest will retrain. Many young people choose to work in the copper mines in northern Chile. Double the penalty, because it is a very water intensive industry. The government must act so that these territories do not die." […]”*
*https://www.courrierinternational.com/article/secheresse-au-chili-le-manque-deau-frappe-surtout-les-petits-eleveurs (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here is an excerpt from a very interesting BBC article about climate change and drought in Chile:
“[…] The researcher of the Chilean Office of Climate Change adds that "the average trend of precipitation between the years 1961-2018 is -23 mm per decade for the whole country, a decrease particularly concentrated in the central areas and south".
When it comes to attributing climate change to water scarcity, there are different positions.
María Alejandra Bustos claims that while the Climate and Resilience Science Center (CR) indicates that around a quarter of the precipitation deficit (25%) is attributable to anthropogenic climate change, there are other publications - such as the one recently developed by Fundación Chile - which determine that in the causes, only 12% is explained by this factor. […]”*
*https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-49825857 (accessed February 18, 2021)
- "Ministry of Public Works - Chile on the move - Construction - Valle Hermoso Dam, Combarbalá."
- "No to the dam - The question is: For whom is your project"
Near and in the center of Combarbalá. Province of Limarí, Coquimbo Region, Chile - February 2020.
Here is an excerpt from an article "pro-barrage" (as we say in France !, see the report 'The battle of Sivens' on our site) on the Public Works site and another extract on the anti-dam side on the site of the Latin American Observatory of Environmental Conflicts (OLCA, Observatorio Latinoamericano de Conflictos Ambientales):
“[…] In June 2019, President Sebastián Piñera launched the National Reservoir Plan in the municipality of Combarbalá, which includes the construction of 26 new reservoirs, four of which correspond to the Coquimbo region. These are the reservoirs of La Tranca, Murallas Viejas, Rapel and Canelillo. […]
Added to this is the Valle Hermoso reservoir, located in the municipality of Combarbalá, which, according to the mayor, "has already been completed and is being filled, but the drought has slowed the process".
This storage pool involved an investment of 81 million dollars and has a capacity of 20 million cubic meters of water, thus guaranteeing the irrigation of 1,500 hectares and directly benefiting 1,160 farmers. […]”*
“The inhabitants of La Tranca do not agree on the 'benefit' of the dam which will leave them without water.
Neighbors of El Durazno, in Choapa, say the project will not benefit them and only a farmer will benefit. […]
As an ecological group of El Durazno, directly concerned by the proposed reservoir, we declare:
1. The legal mandate of the Vigilance Boards is to ensure the proper distribution of water and not the profits of its shareholders. Mr. Cortés is confused in his functions. Bauza and Tagle together accumulated 83% of the water shares, so the reservoir is for them, not for the rural communities that live there. 2. The value of properties will increase with a reservoir, yes, but among those who have water shares, it is not ours. which will be surrounded by monocultures and chemical agriculture, if not their own. » For us, today our lands are worth a lot because they nourish us, that is why we take care of them and we defend by fighting against the reservoir. […] 5. The jobs that would be created are short term and would kill the jobs that we have always had, that is to say 'bread for today and the hunger for tomorrow', as we have seen with all the communities of our region which have been victims of reservoirs. […]”**
*http://www.infraestructurapublica.cl/los-embalses-se-proyectan-amortiguar-la-sequia-la-region/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**http://olca.cl/articulo/nota.php? id = 106595 (accessed February 18, 2021)
On the internet, we can read this about this observatory:
“[…] On Cerro Peralito next to Combarbala (between Illapel and Ovalle), the Cruz del Sur Observatory has four observation domes equipped with telescopes (40 and 35 cm). For now, an exhibition and lectures are a good introduction to astronomy, but a high-tech planetarium is in the works. Visits and observations are possible day and evening. […]”**
“[…] Each telescope is mounted on a separate platform that isolates vibrations from the dome. This mount is called "equatorial" and allows amateur observations but also astrophotography, opening the possibility of professional use of the instruments. […]”***
*http://olca.cl/articulo/nota.php? id = 106595 (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.chile-excepcion.com/guide-voyage/astronomie/les-observatoires-au-chili (accessed February 18, 2021)
***https://www.observatoriocruzdelsur.cl/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here is what we can read about the sky observation conditions on the site of this observatory:
“[…] Here we provide some information on how we can learn more about the sky. […]
The first rule to carry out a good astronomical observation is to be in a place without light pollution. In other words, where the artificial city lights do not illuminate the sky and make it impossible to observe the group of stars available at night. […] It is very important that the human eye first adapts to the dark (for a period of about 20 minutes), and after that there are no more lights that spoil the sensitivity to darkness (only red lights are allowed).
The ideal places to develop this activity are the desert, the field or the mountain, because in addition to the sky they offer a wide panoramic view of the sky. […]”*
*https://www.observatoriocruzdelsur.cl/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
Las Ventanas, industrial zone of Quintero y Puchuncaví with four coal-fired power stations and refineries of crude and copper is considered "The Chilean Chernobyl".*
If we have been there it is because from Santiago, people tell us about the "sacrifice zones of the country"** including these.
Here are some pictures of this area taken in passing (we will stay there for two hours at most). Of course, more work should have been done on our part, but our destination, Brazil, is still a long way off! Las Ventanas, Province of Valparaíso, Region of Valparaíso, Chile - February 2020.
(1) "Neither women nor the earth are territories of conquest" […] This sentence is a wake-up call that we are living in a world where we, our essence and our body, as well as the natural resources that have been feminized to give them a connotation of inferiority, were seen as objects that can be dominated and exploited for the maintenance of a patriarchal, capitalist and colonial system."**
Here is what we read on the internet about the place and the struggle of women on site and at COP25 (see our report on COP25 in Madrid):
“[…] For Greenpeace, the situation is "worse" than in Chernobyl, after the nuclear accident of 1986. Because here, "it is not because of an accident, but of sites which operate on a daily basis and that continuously pollute," Judge Estefania Gonzalez, campaign coordinator for this NGO. […]”*
“[…] The Chilean organizations for the defense of the environment for their part divert the expression“ saturated zone ”which, in Chilean law, designates places exposed to air pollution and in particular to high concentrations of fine particles. Several territories are renamed sacrifice zones because they concentrate polluting activities, in particular coal-fired power stations (termoelectricas). Chile has five sacrifice zones, one of which is Til Til: in the north of the country the zones of Tocopilla / Mejillones in the region of Antofagasta and of Huasco in the region of Atacama; in the center of Chile the area of Puchuncaví-Quintero in the region of Valparaíso and finally in the south that of Coronel in the region of Bío Bío. […]”**
“[…] Katta Alonso, founder of the Association of Women of the Sacrificed Zone Quintero-Puchuncaví, on October 8, 2019 in Puchuncavi, Chile […], recounts […] the metamorphosis of this heavenly place after the installation of the first central. This was followed by a refinery and a copper smelting plant belonging to Codelco, the world's leading producer of copper, thermal power stations and chemical plants.
"We lived from agriculture, fishing and tourism. The beaches (are still) wonderful, very pretty, but today there is nothing left, they have destroyed everything", laments this activist, who says she has been threatened . […]”***
“The Fundación Plurales celebrated the participation of the Plataforma Feminista por la Tierra in the COP25 and declared: "It is an opportunity to make visible the strategies of community resistance, led by women defenders of the environment, which generate impacts at different local and global scales. It will be a space for discussion on the progress of the extractivist model and its effects on the human rights of women and their communities". "Although climate change affects us all, it primarily affects rural and indigenous women in different ways. They are the ones who put their bodies and their lives in danger every time they defend their territory against the advancement of extractive companies, or the external eyes of governments which prioritize economic interests over the self-determination of peoples and the sustainability of natural active ingredients", they added.”****
*https://www.france24.com/fr/20191204-le-tchernobyl-chilien-qui-empoisonne-le-centre-du-pays (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://noria-research.com/chili-la-crise-sociale/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
***https://airelibre.fm/ecofeminismo-ni-las-mujeres-ni-la-tierra-somos-territorios-de-conquista/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
****https://www.nodal.am/2019/12/plataforma-feminista-por-la-tierra-ni-la-tierra-ni-las-mujeres-somos-territorios-de-conquista/ (consulted February 18, 2021)
If we have been there it is because from Santiago, people tell us about "the country's sacrifice zones" (1) including these. Las Ventanas, industrial zone of Quintero y Puchuncaví. Province of Valparaíso, Region of Valparaíso, Chile - February 2020.
(1) The Chilean organizations for the defense of the environment misuse the expression “saturated zone” which, in Chilean law, designates places exposed to air pollution and in particular to high concentrations of fine particles. Several territories are renamed sacrifice zones because they concentrate polluting activities, in particular coal-fired power stations (termoelectricas).*
Later in a Challenge article here is what we read about local marine pollution, followed by information found on the Noria Recherche website about the pollution generated in the south by salmon farming, a major export product from Chile (we know this is another subject but we are sharing it with you):
“In 2012, the environmental organization Oceana collected seafood along the coast and analyzed them: 100% of them contained arsenic, copper and cadmium.”**
“[…] This exploitation of resources contributes to damaging biodiversity and transforming certain areas according to global demand for the country's main resources (copper, lithium, avocado, salmon, pulp). In the south, the logging industry contributes to the depletion of native forests while the inhabitants note the increasing pollution of the seas by the overproduction of salmon. These farmed fish are surrounded in underwater cages, their intensive culture ultimately destroying ecosystems. In 2016 an unprecedented health crisis hit the southern islands of Chile involving the intensive cultivation of salmon. […] The salmon industries then move their cultures as soon as certain marine areas have become infertile and use antibiotics that are increasingly resistant to the antibiotic resistance of species. […] And harms local shellfish production and fishing. […]”*
*https://noria-research.com/chili-la-crise-sociale/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.challenges.fr/monde/le-tchernobyl-chilien-qui-empoisonne-le-centre-du-pays_687944 (accessed February 18, 2021)
If we have been there, it is because from Santiago, people tell us about "the country's sacrifice zones" (1) including these. Las Ventanas, Province of Valparaíso, Region of Valparaíso, Chile - February 2020.
(1) The Chilean organizations for the defense of the environment misuse the expression "saturated zone" which, in Chilean law, designates places exposed to air pollution and in particular to high concentrations of fine particles. Several territories are renamed sacrifice zones because they concentrate polluting activities, in particular coal-fired power stations (termoelectricas).**
Here is what we read on the internet about the areas of sacrifice in Chile:
“[…] The 50,000 inhabitants of Quintero and Puchuncavi, the two towns located on either side of the cove, some 120 kilometers from Santiago, breathe the gases emitted by four coal-fired power stations and crude oil refineries. of copper.
It was in 1958 that the Chilean government decided to sacrifice this coast and the agricultural and artisanal fishing activity that took place there to develop an industrial center, synonymous with employment. […]”*
“[...] The constitutional text also consolidates a development model based on the exploitation and export of natural resources. […]
This heritage weighs in particular on certain territories that their inhabitants call sacrifice zones because they believe they are paying a heavy price in the name of the development which the country boasts of. The term emerged in the 1980s in the United States with the help of environmental justice movements and was introduced in Chile by environmental organizations. American activists then speak of National Sacrifice Zones to designate areas for the production of nuclear weapons, [...]”**
“[…] The "Chilean Chernobyl", as Greenpeace has called it, exposes the population, and in particular children and pregnant women, to poisoning and chronic disease.
Recently, the Supreme Court of Chile ruled that the negligence of the State had endangered "the health, and even the life of the people".
At the end of September, before the violent social crisis that rocked the country broke out, President Sebastian Piñera asked forgiveness from the inhabitants of Quintero and Puchuncavi, admitting that they had been "mistreated". "All kinds of businesses have been set up there, without any rules, generating abuses vis-à-vis people and nature," he added. […]”*
*https://www.france24.com/fr/20191204-le-tchernobyl-chilien-qui-empoisonne-le-centre-du-pays (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://noria-research.com/chili-la-crise-sociale/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
If we have been there, it is because from Santiago, people tell us about "the country's sacrifice zones" (1) including these. Las Ventanas, Province of Valparaíso, Region of Valparaíso, Chile - February 2020.
(1) The Chilean organizations for the defense of the environment misuse the expression "saturated zone" which, in Chilean law, designates places exposed to air pollution and in particular to high concentrations of fine particles. Several territories are renamed sacrifice zones because they concentrate polluting activities, in particular coal-fired power stations (termoelectricas). **
Here is what we read on the internet about the areas of sacrifice in Chile:
“In Chile, a picture postcard bay overlooking the Pacific was sacrificed in the 1950s by the installation of an industrial zone. Since then, the inhabitants of this "Chilean Chernobyl" denounce the slow poisoning of which they are victims. […]
On Saturday [November 30, 2019], the Chilean justice opened the trial of six leaders of the National Petroleum Company (ENAP), for their alleged responsibility in an oil accident which affected in August the bays of Talcahuano (south) and Quintero -Puchuncavi.
A plan was put in place following various episodes of pollution. It includes monitoring of air pollution and stricter standards for sulfur dioxide emissions. But the specialists are clear: the solution is to close the sites.”*
“[…] Different organizations involved in the fight against the climate crisis, including the UN itself, have alerted the data presented in a new study which reveals the wide gap that exists between the use of fossil fuels compatible with the 1.5 ° or 2 ° C target and oil, gas and coal extraction projects, which the major industrialized countries (and the most polluting) have in a decade. In fact, according to the Production Gap Report, produced by a number of leading research organizations, in collaboration with the European Union's Environment Program (UNEP), fossil fuel production in 2030 will be 50 % higher than required. to limit global warming to the 2nd committed and 120% higher than the consequent 1.5 ° C. […] In Chile, coal-fired power stations pollute the environment so that the areas where they are located are called "zones of sacrifice". […]”***
*https://www.france24.com/fr/20191204-le-tchernobyl-chilien-qui-empoisonne-le-centre-du-pays (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://noria-research.com/chili-la-crise-sociale/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
***https://www.terram.cl/carbon/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
- "Stop the deaths at the CAP (mine) - Justice - Life is worth more than production"
Surroundings of Huasco, another "sacrifice zone" (1) indicated by one of our hosts who told us about this one.
There too we only stayed a few hours. Of course, as in Las Ventanas - Quintero y Puchuncaví, more work should have been done on our part but Brazil, our destination was still far away… Huasco, Huasco Province, Atacama Region, Chile - February 2020.
(1) “[…] The Chilean organizations for the defense of the environment misuse the expression“ saturated zone ”which, in Chilean law, designates places exposed to air pollution and in particular to strong fine particle concentrations. Several territories are renamed sacrifice zones because they concentrate polluting activities, in particular coal-fired power stations (termoelectricas). […]”*
Later on the internet we read this about the sacrifice zones and a fatal accident at cape ore:
“[…] In the 1960s, Chile celebrated industrialization: it brought employment opportunities and was an ideal of progress, where large constructions were made to promote the so-called import substitution model, creating strategic industries in the country. The problem? All of this was done without any environmental awareness. This was explained by Carolina Fuentes, a subject matter expert, who during the conversation […] spoke about socio-environmental sacrifice in development discourses and deepened the definition of so-called sacrifice zones. […]”**
“On September 9, the report detailing the causes of the accident that caused the death of Huasco worker Jorge Chilcumpa was delivered on November 21. According to information provided by Diario Atacama, the investigation determined that "of the causes of the accident entrusted to WorleyParsons, it concluded that it was not possible to establish a single cause to explain the accident of the shipper, given the complexity and damage to the equipment. […]”***
*https://noria-research.com/chili-la-crise-sociale/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.fima.cl/wordpress/2020/11/10/no-mas-zonas-de-sacrificio/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
***https://elnoticierodelhuasco.cl/2019/09/multiples-factores-serian-causa-de-fatal-accidente-en-muerte-de-trabajador-de-cap-mineria/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
- "Dignified Chile - The story is ours - April 26 - Huasco votes yes"
Huasco, Huasco Province, Atacama Region, Chile - February 2020.
(1) “[…] The Chilean organizations for the defense of the environment misuse the expression "saturated zone" which, in Chilean law, designates places exposed to air pollution and in particular to strong fine particle concentrations. Several territories are renamed sacrifice zones because they concentrate polluting activities, in particular coal-fired power stations (termoelectricas). […]”*
Later on the internet we read this about the organization of citizens concerning the areas of sacrifice, we find there the # ChaoCarbón movement which was present at the COP25 in Madrid:
“ "The people who live in the sacrificial areas live in fear of being unable to do anything about environmental matters" […] the first week of November [2020] was marked by the environmental discussions of the closure bill. coal-fired thermoelectric plants until 2025, an initiative promoted by different groups, including # ChaoCarbón, which brings together organizations across Chile seeking to end coal-fired thermoelectric plants and slaughter zones.
In this context, the discussion "A new Constitution to put an end to the sacrifice zones" took place […], different subjects were discussed, such as the negative environmental impacts of industrial development, the concept of sacrificed zones, the cases of environmental contamination of Mejillones and Huasco, and the possibilities of a new Constitution and a new constitutive process in environmental matters. […]”**
**https://noria-research.com/chili-la-crise-sociale/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.fima.cl/wordpress/2020/11/10/no-mas-zonas-de-sacrificio/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
(1) “[…] The Chilean organizations for the defense of the environment misuse the expression "saturated zone" which, in Chilean law, designates places exposed to air pollution and in particular to strong fine particle concentrations. Several territories are renamed sacrifice zones because they concentrate polluting activities, in particular coal-fired power stations (termoelectricas). […]”*
Later on the internet we read this about the pollution in Huasco:
“[…] When the wind blows, the pollution in Huasco is more than ever felt: the air can hardly be breathed. The population lives in constant alert, with five thermoelectric power stations on the territory and an ash dump completely overwhelmed. This is how Doris Zamorano, a resident of the Huasco Valley, said during her presentation during the discussion.
"Living in a sacrificial zone means being in constant discomfort,” Zamorano said, later explaining that the pollution in Huasco has had serious consequences: local economies, water, air and soil are devastated by polluting industries. “Here in Huasco, there is a fundamental problem, which is a social problem. Businesses play with people's needs, they play with the promise of progress and development for all, and they are not. The only thing we gain is sickness and division". […]”**
*https://noria-research.com/chili-la-crise-sociale/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.fima.cl/wordpress/2020/11/10/no-mas-zonas-de-sacrificio/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
- Fishermen
In Huasco, one of the country's five "sacrifice zones" (1). Huasco Province, Atacama Region, Chile - February 2020.
(1) “[…] The Chilean organizations for the defense of the environment misuse the expression“ saturated zone ”which, in Chilean law, designates places exposed to air pollution and in particular to strong fine particle concentrations. Several territories are renamed sacrifice zones because they concentrate polluting activities, in particular coal-fired power stations (termoelectricas). […]”*
Later on the internet we read this about Huasco:
“Zones of sacrifice: the case of Huasco.
Huasco is a port city of 9,000 inhabitants located in the municipality of the same name, in the Atacama region. It is an area heavily polluted by the presence of industries such as the thermoelectric complex of Guacolda - with four coal-fired units in operation and another soon to be inaugurated - and the iron pellet plant of the Compañía Minera del Pacífico.
In May 2012, after years of insistence from social organizations, Huasco was declared by the Ministry of the Environment as a latent zone for particulate matter (PM10), after verifying that annual concentrations of PM10 for three consecutive years were greater than 80% of the limit established by the standard.
Despite this, a new coal-fired thermoelectric plant wants to be installed just 15 km from Huasco: the Punta Alcalde plant, which would produce 740 megawatts.
Oceana has asked authorities not to allow approval of new polluting industries in saturated or latent areas, like Huasco.”**
*https://noria-research.com/chili-la-crise-sociale/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://chile.oceana.org/zonas-de-sacrificio-el-caso-de-huasco (accessed February 18, 2021)
(1) “[…] The Chilean organizations for the defense of the environment misuse the expression "saturated zone" which, in Chilean law, designates places exposed to air pollution and in particular to strong fine particle concentrations. Several territories are renamed sacrifice zones because they concentrate polluting activities, in particular coal-fired power stations (termoelectricas). […]”*
Later on the internet we read this about the pollution in Chile and particularly in the sacrificed areas:
“[…] In Chile, the most serious social crisis of the last thirty years has relegated environmental issues to second place.
The unrest forced the government to give up hosting the UN climate conference COP25 - transferred to Madrid. "Organizing the COP25 in Chile offered a formidable opportunity to [denounce] the violation of environmental rights that thousands of Chileans have been living for decades in the sacrificed areas," Mauricio Ceballos, spokesperson for AFP, told AFP. Greenpeace in Chile. […]”**
“[…] Felipe Pino, lawyer for the NGO Fima, began his presentation […] by deepening the concept of environmental justice: "it refers to the equitable distribution of environmental burdens and benefits". The burdens, in this case, would be the risks and costs of activities that affect the environment - such as coal-fired thermoelectric plants - while the benefits are ecosystem services that can be used by people, such as water and electricity. food. Environmental justice would also mean that people actively participate in environmental decision-making, thus ensuring their right of access. […]
"The change is in the constitutional process," said Pino, who later explained that the reformulation of the constitutional guarantee of living in a pollution-free environment and the incorporation of the concept of environmental justice as a constitutional principle are the first steps towards updating the institutional framework and environmental legislation.
"An ecological constitution does not mean the end of sacrifice zones, but a change in the model that supports them. If or if this will be the first stone to establish a new relationship between society and the environment. It is a historic moment which we must take advantage of, we cannot wait any longer to have an ecological Constitution", he declared. […]”***
*https://noria-research.com/chili-la-crise-sociale/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.france24.com/fr/20191204-le-tchernobyl-chilien-qui-empoisonne-le-centre-du-pays (accessed February 18, 2021)
***https://www.fima.cl/wordpress/2020/11/10/no-mas-zonas-de-sacrificio/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
(1) “[…] The Chilean organizations for the defense of the environment misuse the expression“ saturated zone ”which, in Chilean law, designates places exposed to air pollution and in particular to strong fine particle concentrations. Several territories are renamed sacrifice zones because they concentrate polluting activities, in particular coal-fired power stations (termoelectricas). […]”*
Later on the internet we read this about Mejillones Sacrifice Zone:
“[…] In Tocopilla and Mejillones, in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, daily life is peaceful. […] However, these inhabitants live in a "sacrifice zone". In other words, it is a very polluted territory where industry takes precedence over human health and the environment. […]”**
Here is a detailed analysis of the sacrifice zones: (https://www.terram.cl/carbon/2019/06/las-cinco-zonas-de-sacrificio-de-chile/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
*https://noria-research.com/chili-la-crise-sociale/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://regionalista.cl/tocopilla-y-mejillones-zonas-de-sacrificio/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
View of the power plants at Mejillones, one of the country's five "sacrifice zones" (1). Mejillones, Antofagasta Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile - February 2020.
(1) “[…] Several territories are renamed sacrifice zones because they concentrate polluting activities, in particular coal-fired power stations (termoelectricas). […]”*
Later on the internet we read this about Mejillones:
“[…] Tocopilla and Mejillones, with a population of around 25,000 and 13,000 respectively, are two coastal towns in northern Chile, located in the driest land in the world. The two cities, located on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, are historically fishing ports. Today, most of them are heavily polluted industrial areas. The French company Engie (formerly GDF-Suez), which presents itself as a world leader in energy transition, has coal-fired thermoelectric power stations in this region (5 units in Tocopilla and 4 units in Mejillones). In other words, less technical, the transnational energy has factories that produce electricity from coal that it imports from certain foreign countries (Colombia, United States, etc.), transporting it by sea with huge freighters. […]”**
*https://noria-research.com/chili-la-crise-sociale/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://regionalista.cl/tocopilla-y-mejillones-zonas-de-sacrificio/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
View of the power plants at Mejillones, one of the country's five "sacrifice zones (2). Mejillones, Antofagasta Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile - February 2020.
(1) CTM is an insult.
(2) “[…] Several territories are renamed sacrifice zones because they concentrate polluting activities, in particular coal-fired power stations (termoelectricas). […]”**
Later we will read this about the tags and about the plans to close thermoelectric power stations in Mejillones and las Ventanas:
“The whole monumental stadium sang to Piñera that he was a CTM and a murderer like Pinochet.
When governments are faced with a social epidemic, presidents have only two options out of the crisis: resign or urgently present plans to carry out structural reforms that immediately improve people's quality of life. What did Piñera do? Not only did he not quit and he did not introduce any structural reform, but he continues to invent enemies that exist and continues to make fun of people with projects full of fine print that only benefit great men business.
Piñera has already gone down in history as the worst president in the history of Chile and a human rights violator. That's why he can't get out and that's why they hide him. If he wants to be remembered as an international leader, he will be forever remembered as an incompetent and a criminal against humanity. People will make sure that no street is named after them and that their last name is a curse. […]”*
“Mejillones is a town of 9,600 inhabitants in the Antofagasta region. A large number of industries related to the mining sector have been concentrated in this city, including four coal-fired thermoelectric power plants totaling six operating units.
According to a study carried out in 2012 by the University of Antofagasta, levels of heavy metals (nickel, copper, zinc, cadmium, vanadium and lead) are recorded in marine sediments in the industrial sector that far exceed the international standard. In addition, heavy metal contamination has been found in several species of crustaceans and molluscs.
The community of Mejillones has expressed concern over industrial pollution, declining marine resources, episodes of coal spills and species mortality in various instances.”***
*http://www.laizquierdadiario.com.bo/Hinchas-de-Universidad-Catolica-y-Colo-Colo-unidos-contra-Pinera-Asesino-igual-que-Pinochet (accessed February 18, 2021)
*https://www.gamba.cl/2020/01/video-todo-el-estadio-monumental-le-canto-a-pinera-que-es-un-ctm-y-un-asesino-igual-que -pinochet / (accessed February 18, 2021)
*https://noria-research.com/chili-la-crise-sociale/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
***https://chile.oceana.org/zonas-de-sacrificio-el-caso-de-mejillones (accessed February 18, 2021)
(1) “[…] Several territories are renamed sacrifice zones because they concentrate polluting activities, in particular coal-fired power stations (termoelectricas). […]”*
Later we will read this about the planned closure of thermoelectric power plants in Mejillones and Las Ventanas and the health consequences generated by the pollution of these plants:
“This Tuesday [December 29, 2020], President Sebastián Piñera announced that an agreement had been reached which will allow the launch of a plan for the gradual closure of thermoelectric power plants in the country.
As the President said, this is aimed at protecting the environment, but at the same time not jeopardizing the electricity supply to Chilean families or increasing the price. […]
"The original plan called for the closure of eight coal-fired power stations within five years, but we are accelerating this plan," the authority said.
According to the president, to these eight were added the advance to the closure of Mejillones I and II, in addition to the Bocamina plant, which will mean that 11 coal-fired plants will be closed before 2024. […]”**
“[…] Mejillones and Tocopilla are located in the Antofagasta region which holds the sad record for the highest cancer rate in Chile. There are no specific studies to know the cancer rate for each city, but Marcelo, the director of the hospital in Mejillones, did his own studies. […] "It is clear that the environmental factor is a cause of respiratory illness and death". Of the 29 units in Chile, 9 are operated by the French multinational Engie, which, it should be remembered, is 25% owned by the French State.
In its ethics letter, Engie "commits itself to the communities in which it operates to respect the environment (...) and to reduce its ecological impact". Article 19 (line 8) of the Chilean Constitution stipulates that every person has "the right to live in an environment free from contamination". Sebastián Piñera, the new president of Chile, declares that "the environmental and health tragedies of Mejillones speak better than a thousand words". And yet, in Mejillones, Engie is building a new coal-fired thermoelectric power station called "Red Dragon". […]”***
*https://noria-research.com/chili-la-crise-sociale/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.biobiochile.cl/noticias/nacional/region-de-valparaiso/2020/12/29/pinera-confirma-acuerdo-que-permitira-el-cierre-de-la-central-termoelectrica- ventanas-1.shtml (accessed February 18, 2021)
***https://regionalista.cl/tocopilla-y-mejillones-zonas-de-sacrificio/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
During the last "visit" of a sacrificed area (1) that our hosts had told us about, what was our surprise to find a thermal power station from the French group Engie. Mejillones, Antofagasta Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile - February 2020.
(1) “[…] Several territories are renamed sacrifice zones because they concentrate polluting activities, in particular coal-fired power stations (termoelectricas). […]”*
On the internet, here is what we read about the closure and new location of Engie (formerly GDF-Suez) power plants:
“In Chile, the Civil Society Coalition for Climate Action (SCAC) - a coalition of organizations formed for the COP25 which was to be held in the Latin American country - denounced on December 4 the posture of French giant Engie. According to her, the multinational "is taking advantage of the current socio-environmental crisis in Chile to question the "decarbonization" of "sacrificed areas", these regions of the country polluted by industries.
Engie, which operates one of the largest coal-fired power stations in the country, had pledged to shut it down by 2022. But the firm announced in the press that it was not sure "to be able to carry out such plans". Given the ongoing social conflict. The French company is also carrying another power plant project, which has received the approval of environmental authorities, the future of which is uncertain.
"The specter of the economic recession in Chile cannot be used to delay decarbonization commitments, while continuing to sacrifice communities in areas where their coal plants are operating," said Hernán Ramírez of Fundación Terram in the statement. of the Chilean coalition.”**
“In northern Chile, the multinational Engie (formerly GDF-Suez) owns several coal-fired power stations with harmful consequences for human health and the marine and terrestrial environments. If the energy company will close two of them in April, it will open a new one at the beginning of the year, the production of which will more than offset that of the units shut down.
In the first quarter of 2019, Engie, the French multinational which presents itself as a leader in the global energy transition, will open a new coal-fired power station, called Red Dragon, in Mejillones, Chile. In April 2018, Engie announced the closure of two coal units in the town of Tocopilla, 130 km north of Mejillones. Consequently, the losses in electricity production of the two coal-fired units that Engie will close in April 2019 and which represent 170 megawatts will be more than offset by the new unit, which will more than double: 375 megawatts.
Axel Lévêque, executive director of Engie Chile, told Reporterre by telephone: "The construction was decided at the end of 2013, the beginning of 2014 when Engie took part in the auction to supply electricity for the Chilean government. To win, we had to offer this new coal-fired unit in a country that had not yet taken a turn towards renewables. We won this auction. Engie therefore has a legal obligation to market this plant". […]”***
*https://noria-research.com/chili-la-crise-sociale/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://reporterre.net/Engie-profiterait-du-conflit-social-au-Chili-pour-ne-pas-fermer-sa-centrale-a-charbon (accessed February 18, 2021)
***https://reporterre.net/Engie-pollue-le-nord-du-Chili-avec-d-antiques-centrales-a-charbon (accessed February 18, 2021)
During the last "visit" of a sacrificed area (1) that our hosts had told us about, what was our surprise to find a thermal power station from the French group Engie. Mejillones, Antofagasta Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile - February 2020.
(1) “[…] Several territories are renamed sacrifice zones because they concentrate polluting activities, in particular coal-fired power stations (termoelectricas). […]”*
On the internet, here is what we read about the closure and new location of Engie (formerly GDF-Suez) power plants:
“[…] Nothing really suggests that these inhabitants live in a fishing port that has become a "Sacrificed Zone", a polluted territory where industry takes precedence over health. The Chilean president says that “the environmental and health tragedies of Mejillones speak more than a thousand words”. And yet, in Mejillones, the French multinational Engie is building a new coal-fired power station called "Red Dragon".”**
“In Chile, ENGIE announces the closure of the two coal-fired units located at Mejillones (334 MW) by 2024. In June 2019, ENGIE closed two units at Tocopilla (units 12 and 13, i.e. 170 MW) and announced the closure of two other units on the same site (units 14 and 15, or 270 MW) by 2021. In Peru, ENGIE will close the Ilo 21 plant (135 MW) by 2022.
ENGIE announced last week an ambitious plan to develop renewable energies in Chile, for the construction of 1 GW of wind and solar assets, for an investment of around $ 1 billion. The first two projects (the Capricorn solar park and the Calama wind farm) are currently under construction, while a third (the Tamaya solar park) will begin construction in the first quarter of 2020. These three projects constitute the first 370 MW of the project plan.
In accordance with Chile's decarbonization plan, ENGIE recently signed a letter of intent with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to structure a long-term loan of up to $ 125 million to finance investments in energy. renewable. The IDB has developed an instrument to reduce the financial cost of renewable energy projects for companies that own coal-fired power plants, by monetizing the reduction in emissions. […]”***
*https://noria-research.com/chili-la-crise-sociale/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://beta.reporterre.net/Engie-pollue-le-nord-du-Chili-avec-d-antiques-centrales-a-charbon (accessed February 18, 2021)
***https://www.engie.com/remplacera-1-gw-actifs-charbon-1-gw-renouvelables (accessed February 18, 2021)
Product name: Nordox super 75 WG
Date of application
Private land - No entry »
Since we started photography we have been documenting agricultural activities. But there in Chile we fell on a bone, almost all "farms" were fenced (against theft we have often been told) so that this part of the work will not really be supported! Not far from Aculeo, Chile - January 2020.
Note that we have made a small gallery on the fenced fields that you can see on our site.
Here is what we can read on the internet about this product:
“[…] NORDOX is a fungicide composed of 75% copper of cuprous oxide. It acts in prevention against mildew and bacterial necrosis. It is a contact fungicide authorized in organic farming. […]”*
*https://www.lvvd.fr/produit/fongicide-nordox/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
- Mirador, not far from Isla de Maipo.
Since we started photography we have been documenting agricultural activities. But there in Chile we fell on a bone, almost all "farms" were fenced (against theft we have often been told) so that this part of the work will not really be supported! Province of Talagante, Metropolitan Region of Santiago, Chile - January 2020.
Note that we have made a small gallery on the fenced fields that you can see on our site.
- Not far from Isla de Maipo.
Since we started photography we have been documenting agricultural activities. But there in Chile we fell on a bone, almost all "farms" were fenced (against theft we have often been told) so that this part of the work will not really be supported! Province of Talagante, Metropolitan Region of Santiago, Chile - January 2020.
Note that we have made a small gallery on the fenced fields that you can see on our site.
- Pedegua
Since we started photography we have been documenting agricultural activities. But there in Chile we fell on a bone, almost all "farms" were fenced (against theft we have often been told) so that this part of the work will not really be supported! Chile - February 2020.
Note that we have made a small gallery on the fenced fields that you can see on our site.
Since we started photography we have been documenting agricultural activities. But there in Chile we fell on a bone, almost all "farms" were fenced (against theft we have often been told) so that this part of the work will not really be supported! Not far from Ovalle, Province of Limarí, Region of Coquimbo, Chile - February 2020.
Note that we have made a small gallery on the fenced fields that you can see on our site.
In the background, the Paloma dam. Monte Patria, Limarí Province, Coquimbo Region, Chile - February 2020.
Here is what we read on the internet about the La Paloma dam:
“The La Paloma reservoir is a water reservoir located 27 km south-east of the town of Ovalle, in the municipality of Monte Patria […]. It has a capacity of 750 million cubic meters and covers an area of 3,000 hectares. It retains the waters of the Rio Grande and the Rio Huatulame. It is the largest irrigation reservoir in Chile and the second in South America.”*
*https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embalse_La_Paloma (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here is what we read on the internet about the La Paloma dam:
“[…] The reservoir gives its name to a system of three reservoirs with a network of bypass canals that regulate the irrigation supply in the valley of the Limarí river. These are the La Paloma reservoir, the Cogotí reservoir and the Recoleta reservoir. Together they have a storage capacity of 1 billion m³. […]”**
“According to the latest reports from the Directorate General of Water, the region accumulates more than 584 million regional m3 in its reservoirs. […] Despite recent rains, the water level in reservoirs remains below 50% in the region […]”***
*https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carabiniers_du_Chili (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embalse_La_Paloma (accessed February 18, 2021)
***http://www.diarioeldia.cl/economia/pese-ultimas-lluvias-nivel-agua-en-embalses-se-mantiene-bajo-50-en-region (accessed February 18, 2021)
On the internet, we found a photo from when the island was still surrounded by water:
https://www.facebook.com/montepatria.enlamira/photos/1654617804823994 (accessed February 18, 2021)
(1) “The condor is the emblematic bird of Chile. After winning its place on the national coat of arms, the raptor also inspired a comic book character: Condorito […]”* “[…] created by an author very popular in Latin America, named René Ríos Boettiger (he is best known under his pseudonym "Pepo" which he signed his stories).”**
Here is what we read on the internet about the impact of the drought on the dams in the region:
“[…] 584.53 million m3 of dam water present in the region, according to the latest monthly report on the state of dams, issued by the General Directorate of Water of the Ministry of Public Works. This figure corresponds to 45% of the total regional capacity (1304.7 million m3), figures which reflect that despite the recent rains, we continue with a significant water deficit in the region.
“We had encouraging rains for the Coquimbo region, with some areas with around 40mm of water, mainly in Choapa province, which is one of the most affected by drought, which allowed us to recharge some groundwater, but we continue with a significant water deficit, we continue with reservoirs with a low level of accumulation in said province, such as El Bato and Corrales. […]”***
*https://lepetitjournal.com/santiago/actualites/santiagoculture-condorito-le-condor-quon-adore-15104 (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Condorito (accessed February 18, 2021)
***http://www.diarioeldia.cl/economia/pese-ultimas-lluvias-nivel-agua-en-embalses-se-mantiene-bajo-50-en-region (accessed February 18, 2021)
On the internet we read the definition of huaso as well as the impact of the drought on the dams in the region:
“The huaso is the Chilean equivalent of the Argentinian gaúcho or the American cowboy. He typically wears a straw hat with a flat brim called a chupalla and a manta (a colorful short cape woven with country patterns). Huasos are an important part of Chilean folklore: they are seen at parades, fiestas, rodeos, and vacations.
The word "huaso" would come from the mixture of several Andalusian words: guasa, guazón and gacho, the latter designating a rider.”*
“[…] the call is to continue working in collaboration with water users, irrigators and rural drinking water systems, consciously using and caring for the water we have in stock" , underlined the Minister of Public Works, Pablo Herman. Currently, the province of Elqui is the one with the greatest amount of water accumulated in its reservoirs, with La Laguna having a capacity of 93% and Puclaro 66%. For its part, in Choapa, the Corrales reservoir has only 6% of dammed water capacity, El Bato 22%, Culimo 36% and in Limarí La Paloma 41%, Recoleta 63% and Cogotí with 26% water. accumulated. Finally, the regional authority of public works, stressed that new rains are expected during the winter which will lead to the accumulation of snow in the mountain range, which is one of the main sources of water supply in tanks, during the thaw season.”**
*https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huaso_ (rider) (accessed February 18, 2021)
**http://www.diarioeldia.cl/economia/pese-ultimas-lluvias-nivel-agua-en-embalses-se-mantiene-bajo-50-en-region (accessed February 18, 2021)
On the internet we read the definition of huaso and later we learn that it is in Monte Patria that there is climatic migrations:
“The huaso is the Chilean equivalent of the Argentinian gaúcho or the American cowboy. He typically wears a straw hat with a flat brim called a chupalla and a manta (a colorful short cape woven with country patterns). Huasos are an important part of Chilean folklore: they are seen at parades, fiestas, rodeos, and vacations.
The word "huaso" would come from the mixture of several Andalusian words: guasa, guazón and gacho, the latter designating a rider.”*
“Monte Patria: […] It is estimated that 15% of the population - around 5,000 people - have already left the region.
Mayor Camilo Ossandón alluded to a report by the World Organization for Migration and assured that Monte Patria "becomes the first territory in the south of the world to generate migration due to climate change".
"People mainly migrate north in search of work, and also to Santiago," he said.
Regarding animals, he said that "every week we bury goats in different places to avoid health problems". […]”**
*https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huaso_ (rider) (accessed February 18, 2021)
*https://www.concierto.cl/2019/10/monte-patria-habitantes-emigran-sequia/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
On the site of the Municipality of Monte Patria we found this concerning the dam:
On the internet, here is what we read about the Paloma dam:
“The La Paloma reservoir is an engineering structure built between 1959 and 1966, it is the largest irrigation reservoir in South America, with an area of 3,000 hectares and a capacity of over 700 million. Cubic meters. Located 27 kilometers south-east of Ovalle, it receives the flows of the Rio Grande and Rio Huatulame, two of the five main rivers of Monte Patria.”*
*https://www.munimontepatria.cl/web/index.php/turismo1/atractivos-2/141-embalse-la-paloma (accessed February 18, 2021)
Perhaps this infrastructure was completed when the dam was built. Monte Patria, Province of Limarí, Region of Coquimbo, Chile - February 2020.
Later we learn that it is in Monte Patria that there are climatic migrations:
“Monte Patria: […] It is estimated that 15% of the population - around 5,000 people - have already left the region.
Mayor Camilo Ossandón alluded to a report by the World Organization for Migration and assured that Monte Patria "becomes the first territory in the south of the world to generate migration due to climate change".
"People mainly migrate north in search of work, and also to Santiago," he said.
Regarding animals, he said that "every week we bury goats in different places to avoid health problems". […] ”*
*https://www.concierto.cl/2019/10/monte-patria-habitantes-emigran-sequia/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
- Grapes drying in the sun, not far from El Palqui.
Still with our intention (hindered as you can see in the Clôtures-Fences gallery on our site) to photograph the agricultural activities along our route, we were still able to document the process of making raisins in Chile. Province of Limarí, Region of Coquimbo, Chile - February 2020.
Previously they had workers but with the drought for three years production has decreased and it has become impossible to hire. A worker costs 15,000 to 18,000 Chilean pesos (around 15.58 euros) per day and grapes sell for 1,200 Chilean pesos per kilo (or 1.20 euros).
In addition a tax was put in place for the export sale that they practiced before and an additional treatment of the harvest required: washing the grapes.
Now they therefore sell their production on the Chilean market via customers, in particular in Santiago.
Not far from El Palqui, Province of Limarí, Region of Coquimbo, Chile - February 2020.
Still with our intention (hindered as you can see in the Clôtures-Fences gallery on our site) to photograph agricultural activities along the way, we were still able to document the process of making raisins in Chile. Monte Patria, Province of Limarí, Region of Coquimbo, Chile - February 2020.
Still with our intention (hindered as you can see in the Clôtures-Fences gallery on our site) to photograph agricultural activities along the way, we were still able to document the process of making raisins in Chile. Monte Patria, Province of Limarí, Region of Coquimbo, Chile - February 2020.
Still with our intention (hindered as you can see in the Clôtures-Fences gallery on our site) to photograph agricultural activities along the way, we were still able to document the process of making raisins in Chile. Monte Patria, Province of Limarí, Region of Coquimbo, Chile - February 2020.
During this trip we met another Haitian person who helped us greatly for our evening camp and in Chile we unfortunately often heard scornfully speak of Haitians. Monte Patria, Province of Limarí, Region of Coquimbo, Chile - February 2020.
On the internet, we read this about Haitian migration to South America:
“[…] The presence of Haitians in South America is increasingly important […]. No one wants to show hospitality for fear of setting a precedent or a "cry for help" to use the language of international migration specialists.
However, following the earthquake of January 2010, governments of countries such as Brazil, Ecuador, Venezuela and Chile had made gestures of friendship and solidarity towards Haitians in their territories by regularizing their situation. migration or by facilitating family reunification.
However, six months later, these countries have greatly strengthened their control measures. [...] Ecuador and Chile are thus erecting numerous barriers to Haitians entering and staying in their territory. Discrimination strikes many Haitians in these two countries because of their color, nationality and migration status. […]
In Chile, apart from discrimination and stigma, the great difficulty faced by Haitian migrants is obtaining their residence permit. […]
If they are not considered refugees within the meaning of the definition of the Geneva Convention, they cannot be considered simply as "economic migrants", since they have been forced to leave their country of origin or not. cannot return due to the earthquake and the worsening humanitarian crisis. […]
On the other hand, in June 2011, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) recognized the precarious nature of living conditions in Haiti. […] The two specialized agencies of the United Nations (UN) […] have even asked governments around the world to renew, for humanitarian reasons, residence permits and other devices allowing Haitians to stay outside the country. their territory. […]”*
*https//cjf.qc.ca/vivre-ensemble/webzine/article/lamerique-du-sud-pole-dattraction-de-la-migration-haitienne/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
The grapes were purchased from neighboring producers in El Palqui. It is left to dry (while being stirred to prevent the formation of clumps) for 15 days if the sun is shining.
In Florida I had spent time with Haitian farm workers (see reports from the USA on our site) and here it is with pleasure that I stayed as much as possible to chat in French with them.
During this trip we met another Haitian person who helped us greatly for our evening camp and in Chile we unfortunately often heard scornfully speak of Haitians. Monte Patria, Province of Limarí, Region of Coquimbo, Chile - February 2020.
Here is a link on the situation of Haitian immigrants in Chile:
“[…] Sebastian Piñera, the conservative president who took office on March 11 [2018], has just announced a new bill to tighten conditions for entry into Chile. The 300,000 migrants currently in an irregular situation have one month to benefit from the extraordinary regularization process which will begin on 23 April. In the viewfinder, the Haitians. Since April 16, the latter have to apply for an entry visa at the Chilean consulate in Port-au-Prince - this is now impossible from Chile. In addition, only 10,000 Haitians per year will receive the new humanitarian visa. […]
Chile is the Latin American country where the number of foreigners increased the most between 2010 and 2015 - an increase due to an exponential influx of Haitians. In 2017, 111,746 of them entered Chile, up from 13,299 in 2015, when the numbers started to climb. They are the ones who make Chileans turn around in the street. The migration debate is agitating this country of 17 million inhabitants, wedged between the Andes mountain range and the Pacific. […]
in a country that believes itself to be whiter than it is, ”he said, referring to the indigenous peoples who live in Chile. His priority: to avoid evictions. 6,656 referrals were made between 2016 and 2017, or one every three hours. […]”*
“[…] The massive influx of Haitians into the country is already a very hot topic. Some don't hesitate to talk about an invasion. In 2017, the number of Haitian immigrants exploded there, rising to 111,000 against 47,000 in 2016, an increase of 138% in one year. […]
"The problem with Haitian immigration does not come from numbers, because Venezuelan immigration is numerically superior. "The rejection of Haitian immigration stems from the fact that racism exists in our society and that we must fight it."
We come to this debate that agitates the country, to end up noting that 99% of Chileans are mixed. And that the arrival in Chile of blacks from the Dominican Republic and Haiti heralds a new cycle of interbreeding. A reality that seems to bother some. A public figure says on "24 horas" TV that "when there is a mixture of white and black people, it results in mulattoes. […] In fact, Haitians are admitted to Chile with a tourist visa valid for 90 days. In the meantime, those who want to stay must obtain a work contract and work visa. […]”**
*https://www.letemps.ch/monde/face-larrivee-migrants-haitiens-se-durcit-racisme-monte-chili
**https://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/martinique/haitiens-victimes-racisme-au-chili-566919.html
Although spread out, they must be stirred during drying which can last a fortnight (if the sun is shining) so that they do not clump together.
- The boss who kindly let us photograph (although I had been for a walk twice before and photographing agricultural activities in Chile is not a part of the fun, see the Fences-Fences series on our site) and gave us even offered a bag of at least 5 kg of raisins! (which lasted us until the end of the trip) ...
He explains to us that the grapes were bought from neighboring producers in El Palqui. Monte Patria, Province of Limarí, Region of Coquimbo, Chile - February 2020.
Here is what we read about grape production in Chile:
“[…] Chile is one of the world's 5 largest producers of cherries and cranberries, and one of the world's 10 largest producers of grapes, apple, kiwi, peach, plum and hazelnut, focusing on the high value fruit export.
In 2018, Chile was the 9th largest producer of grapes in the world, with 2 million tonnes produced […]”.*
*https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture_au_Chili#cite_note-2 (accessed February 18, 2021)
On the potato in Chile we found this information even if it is a little dated:
“The potato is originally from the Andes, but it was recently discovered through DNA that most of the varieties grown around the world today are from Chilean cultivars. The Andean potato predominated in Europe in the 18th century, but it was the plant genetic material from Chile that became predominant in the 19th century.
Chile is the sixth largest potato producer in Latin America, with a record crop of 1.5 million tonnes in 2007, equivalent to the country's maize and wheat production. Although tuber cultivation is practiced throughout the country, it is concentrated in the provinces located between Coquimbo, in the north, and Chiloé, including on the island of Chiloé where it already existed in pre-Columbian times.
More than half of tubers are eaten fresh (annual consumption of 51 kg per capita has changed little since 1990), around 10 percent are processed and 15 percent are used for seedling production. The value of seedling exports is almost half that of the country's exports, mainly to Brazil and Venezuela.”*
*http://www.fao.org/potato-2008/fr/monde/amerique_latine.html (accessed February 18, 2021)
- Roadside corn vendor (almost opposite the potato vendor in the previous photo).
Before La Serena. Elqui Province, Coquimbo Region, Chile - 2020.
Here is what we read on the internet about agriculture in Chile:
“[…] Chile has the advantage of being located in the southern hemisphere, and of being able to produce in the off-season on a wide range of products thanks to very diverse climatic conditions. However, landforms limit the extent and intensity of agriculture and arable land.
The agricultural heart of Chile is in the Central Valley where the Metropolitan region of Santiago is located. In the northern half of the country, crops are heavily dependent on irrigation. In the south of the country, agriculture is gradually being replaced by aquaculture, forestry and sheep and cattle breeding.”*
*https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture_au_Chili#cite_note-2 (accessed February 18, 2021)
- Scenes at our hosts one night. Baking bread for breakfast. San Marcos. Coquimbo Region.
Charcoal, very economical, is still often used for cooking and heating, we were told. Chile - January / February 2020.
- San Marcos. Coquimbo Region.
Since our beginnings in photography and in cycling trips we have been used to taking souvenir photos of our one night hosts (see the "Hosts from Chile" gallery on our site). Chile - February 2020.
Installation to have hot water for the shower and the dishes among others.
Since our beginnings in photography and in cycling trips we have been used to taking souvenir photos of our one night hosts (see the "Hosts from Chile" gallery on our site). Not far from Villa Alemana. Marga Marga Province, Valparaíso Region, Chile - February 2020.
- Room in a barracks of Bomberos (firefighters) where we were accommodated. At least 3 times during the trip we slept with the firefighters. Mejillones, Antofagasta Province, Antofagasta Region.
Chile - February 2020.
On the internet, we read this about Salvador Allende:
“Salvador Guillermo Allende Gossens […], born June 26, 1908 and died September 11, 1973, is a Chilean statesman. He was President of the Republic of Chile from November 3, 1970 to September 11, 1973. […]
The government of Salvador Allende, supported by the coalition of left-wing parties Popular Unity, is trying to establish a socialist state in a non-violent and legal way, the "Chilean path to socialism", through projects such as the nationalization of the sectors. keys to the economy and land reform. It faces the international political polarization of the Cold War and a serious political, economic and financial crisis in the country.
The coup of September 11, 1973 led by Augusto Pinochet, and supported by the United States, overthrows the government by force and establishes a military dictatorship. Salvador Allende committed suicide in the Moneda palace, under the putschist bombs.”*
*https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvador_Allende (accessed February 18, 2021)
- "Inés del alma mía", book by Isabel Allende.
Not far from Ovalle. Limarí Province, Coquimbo Region, Chile - February 2020.
Here is what we read on the internet about Isabel Allende:
“Isabel Allende, of Chilean nationality, was born in Lima, Peru, where her father, Tomás Allende, cousin of the President of the Republic of Chile Salvador Allende, was a diplomat. In 1945, his parents separated and his mother returned to live in Chile with her three children.”*
*https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabel_Allende (accessed February 18, 2021)
The second and last time we slept at a campsite. We were unable to find something to eat and bathe in after a day of cycling in the heat, contrary to what is offered.
See why in the next photo if you don't have a clue… Monte Patria, Limarí Province, Coquimbo Region, Chile - February 2020.
- On a motorway rest area near La Ligua. Petorca Province, Valparaíso Region.
- In a desalination plant in Antofagasta. Antofagasta Province, Antofagasta Region.
Chile - February and March 2020.
In an article from 2012, here is what we read about the dangerousness of the sun in Chile:
“[…] Alarming sunburn in Chile, where the" solmaphores "(1) are flashing
More than 200 Chileans die from skin cancer each year. The country is at the forefront of solar prevention.
Exposed to intense sun, a Chilean has already received at 18 years the dose of UV rays of a sexagenarian elsewhere. However, the authorities are worried about an austral summer with stronger radiation than usual, which maddens curious solar alarms, a local invention.
On a construction site in Santiago, a whistle sounds: between cranes and concrete mixers, about twenty workers stop, and laughing awkwardly smear themselves with white cream: it's the "sunscreen break", under the scrupulous eye a security expert. Chile does not mess with its sun.
"We established at the end of September [beginning of the austral spring] that ultraviolet radiation was higher than in previous years," Ernesto Gramsch, a physicist at the University of Chile, in charge of the National Ultraviolet Measurement Network, told AFP.
Normally, radiation begins to rise in December and peaks in January, the hottest month of the year. This year, radiation, 10% more intense than in 2008, the last strong year, began earlier, due to an increased vulnerability of the ozone layer protecting the atmosphere.
"We believe that a drop of close to 1% in the density of ozone is what made the indices increase", analyzes Ernesto Gramsch. Due to its geographical location, a local weakness of the ozone layer and a desert climate in the north, Chile is particularly vulnerable. And UV radiation, responsible for skin cancer, is almost a national cause.
"We are relying on studies which show that a young person at 18 has received the amount of radiation he should have accumulated at 60," says Cecilia Orlandi, dermatologist at the National Cancer Corporation (Conac).”*
(1) Solmaphores: “[…] A sensor receives radiation," an electronic circuit amplifies the signal, distributes it and lights the bulb which corresponds "to the degree of risk, he explains. Green for "low", yellow for "medium", orange for "high", red for "dangerous" and purple for "extreme". […]”**
*https://www.nouvelobs.com/planete/20120122.OBS9459/coup-de-soleil-alarmant-au-chili-ou-les-solmaphores-clignotent.html#modal-msg (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.allodocteurs.fr/actualite-sante-le-chili-invente-l-avertisseur-solaire-pour-sauver-sa-peau_5839.html (accessed February 18, 2021)
Nets stretched overhead capture moisture from the air and transform it into water droplets that are captured in gutters. These continue through pipes which then go to water recovery tanks. Chañaral, Province of Chañaral, Atacama Region, Chile - February 2020.
On the internet, we can read this about cloud catchers and see a video on the subject made in Chañaral:
“[…] In fine mesh, and placed vertically at the summits of the plains, they allow the humidity present in the air, and particularly in the fog and the clouds to settle there in the form of drops of water. , which flows along the fibers by gravity, collect in gutters placed below. The water collected is not necessarily drinkable depending on the location, which may contain marine minerals and sometimes bacteria. Usable domestically or in agriculture, they remain easy to drink. Yields vary according to the season (lower in autumn and summer), with storage playing a key role. […]”*
*http://hdeleau.com/les-attrapes-nuage/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.youtube.com/watch? v = 2x2_8RbC2I0 (accessed February 18, 2021)
Nets stretched overhead capture moisture from the air and transform it into water droplets that are captured in gutters. These continue through pipes which then go to water recovery tanks. Chañaral, Province of Chañaral, Atacama Region, Chile - February 2020.
On the internet we can read and see this about cloud catchers:
“[…] The fog collectors that catch water in Atacama, one of the driest places in the world […]. Average precipitation is less than 0.1 mm per year and in many areas it has not rained for decades.
But even though rain is scarce, the clouds are loaded with humidity.
Fog forms on the Chilean coast and then moves inland in the form of cloud banks. The locals call this mist "camanchaca".”*
“[…] This idea would have emerged in South America, in the Chilean Atacama Desert, where the fishermen of the village of Chungungo imagined the“ atrapanieblas del tofo ”. About fifty nets of 48m2 stretched 2 meters from the ground between two posts placed at the top of Norte Chico, supply the village of Chungungo of 300 inhabitants located 800 meters below, thanks to a canalization system. Located between the ocean and misty peaks, the peasants, seeing the extremely low annual rainfall rate (one of the lowest on the planet), had the brilliant idea of hanging nets (usually 4 to 5m high on the planet). 8 to 10 wide). […]”**
*https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias/2015/05/150521_atrapanieblas_chile_desierto_lp (accessed February 18, 2021)
**http://hdeleau.com/les-attrapes-nuage/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
Nets stretched overhead capture moisture from the air and transform it into water droplets that are captured in gutters. These continue through pipes which then go to these tanks. Chañaral, Province of Chañaral, Atacama Region, Chile - February 2020.
On the internet we can read and see this about cloud catchers:
“[...] If the freshwater reserves on earth represent only 2.5% of the resources, it is also found in the atmosphere. This is how men and women across the globe came up with the idea of trapping cloud water. Experienced all over the world, and particularly in arid regions, this simple technique would allow, depending on the methods and environments, to harvest from 7L to 300L of water daily! […] ”*
*http://hdeleau.com/les-attrapes-nuage/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
Nets stretched overhead capture moisture from the air and transform it into water droplets that are captured in gutters. These continue through pipes which then go to these tanks equipped with increasingly fine filters. Chañaral, Province of Chañaral, Atacama Region, Chile - February 2020.
On the internet we can read and see this about cloud catchers:
“[…] Since then, this technique has been studied and developed in many places and the most arid deserts on the planet, in Yemen, Peru, Eritrea, Nepal, Kenya, Morocco… In Chile, land of the pioneers from this ingenious idea, the former professor of physics and mathematics, Carlos Espinosa Arancibia and the Pontifica Universidad Católica de Chile in Santiago, developed and studied it in order to increase the quantity of water collected. The process is also under study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), in the United States, which is working on the meshing of nets to increase yield.
In places, coupled with other innovative technologies, such as the Waterboxx (see dedicated article), this ingenious technique is of interest to researchers and craftsmen around the world. [...]”*
*http://hdeleau.com/les-attrapes-nuage/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
Nets stretched overhead capture moisture from the air and transform it into water droplets that are captured in gutters. These continue through pipes which then go to tanks fitted with finer and finer filters until the water finishes its course in this storage tank. Chañaral, Province of Chañaral, Atacama Region, Chile - February 2020.
On the internet we can read and see this about cloud catchers:
“[…] the hills are an aerial corridor of clouds and camanchaca. […] To obtain the water resource in an unusual way: to trap the mist or the camanchaca which accumulates in the area with a net. […]”*
“[…] Condensation air-water harvesting systems hold the hope of finding a sustainable balanced model of water management. If these systems are still in their infancy in terms of global application at the level of countries and regions, only allowing to store, irrigate land or participate in the recreation of biodiversity on a very local scale, they nevertheless promise to excellent results in view of the needs of certain localities in terms of access to drinking water. […]”**
*https://www.latercera.com/noticia/los-atrapanieblas-cultivan-truchas-los-cerros-chanaral/ (accessed February 18, 2021) **http://hdeleau.com/les-attrapes-nuage/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
- Cultivation of aloe vera with in the background the station for collecting the water captured by the cloud catchers.
Nets stretched overhead capture moisture from the air and transform it into water droplets that are captured in gutters. These communicate with pipes which then go to tanks fitted with finer and finer filters until the water arrives in the final storage tank. Chañaral, Province of Chañaral, Atacama Region, Chile - February 2020.
On the internet we can read and see this about cloud catchers and aloe vera:
“The fog collectors […] By means of mesh, they manage to produce water […] despite the arid conditions of the place. […] In the Atacama region, in the hills, next to the road that leads to Pan de Azúcar National Park […]”*
“[...] Aloe vera, virtues and health benefits of a miracle plant
Aloe vera, or aloe, is a stemless perennial plant with exceptional qualities. We collect in its green parts, a clear pulp that looks like gel, the benefits of which are no longer to be proven, both internally and externally ... [...]
Not only does it stimulate the immune system, heals, but it also acts as an antibiotic and an anti-inflammatory. Aloe vera helps eliminate toxins and relieves stomach cramps and upset stomachs. In addition, this remarkable plant is recommended for diabetics, and people suffering from allergies, constipation, heart problems ...
In short, aloe vera is a real miniature pharmacy: it produces many active components, including minerals, enzymes, vitamins and mucopolysaccharides, as we will see. […]”*
*https://www.aqua.cl/2017/12/18/video-los-atrapanieblas-que-cultivan-truchas-en-el-desierto-de-atacama/# (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.consoglobe.com/sante-aloe-vera-medecine-miracle-3069-cg (accessed February 18, 2021)
Demonstration farm of organic and hydrological agriculture with sale of fruits and vegetables grown soilless, using water containing nutrients.
In his unique farm just outside Vallenar, for the past five years, Omar Turres has practiced and demonstrated the value of hydroponics. It is a technique (which makes it possible to "cultivate without land or in areas with limited access to water, a growing concern around the world.") * He learned in Japan, a country where he spent 8 years. He then introduced her to Chile teaching 20 years in Santiago.
- Omar Turres is the president of the ecological organization "Sembrar el Desierto". In front of his strawberry plants cultivated in hydroponics (1), he thus demonstrates the saving of space, the saving of water and the large production generated in a very small space. Strawberries grow in a tube filled with woodchip substrate and irrigated twice a day by a drip system for 15 minutes. One tube contains 20 plants and one square meter corresponds to 4 tubes, or 80 plants per m2. The system can last from 2 to 3 years. At the bottom of the tube you can grow zucchini and tomatoes which will take advantage of the flowing water.
A tomato grown in the ground requires 6 liters of water per day, here with 2 liters we water 25 plants: the ratio is 10%, the water saving is significant, he explains.
Exiting Vallenar. Huasco Province, Atacama Region, Chile - February 2020.
Note that the same day on the news, we learn that the producers of Almeria (some of whom we had photographed in Spain) are blocking the streets demanding a fair price for their production (see the 2006-2007 report The garden of the Europe or the third world on our site).
(1) Hydroponics: “[…] very old horticultural technique which allows for a cultivation (hydroculture) above ground. The earth is then replaced by a neutral and sterile substrate, such as coconut fibers or clay balls. In order to compensate for the lack of nutrients […] the grower himself regulates the composition of the nutrient solutions. […] Many advantages: space saving, cleanliness, less frequent diseases and harmful insects, excellent growth and flowering, quality harvest. […]”**
*https://blueberriesconsulting.com/fr/como-japon-esta-revolucionando-la-agricultura-sin-tierra-ni-trabajadores/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.culture-hydroponique.com/cms7-culture-hydroponique (accessed February 18, 2021)
- In front of his lettuce plants under a net that protects them from the strong Chilean sun and the evaporation of water. The plant grows on a perforated polystyrene plate, in an exosystem, its roots floating on the water that contains nutrients. Lettuce ripens in a month.
- In the process of feeding the fishes whose excrements will serve as nutrients for the culture in hydroponics, thanks to the water of their basin collected and directed in the system of irrigation of the tubes and of the "floating" plants.
< br> Omar Turres tells us that in December, he traveled to Santiago for the 2019 Peoples' Summit* which was held in the capital despite the transfer of the COP25 to Madrid. There he presented his solutions for feeding cattle despite water stress thanks to green fodder grown in hydroponics in just 15 days, for goats, for example barley which grows at a rate of 1 cm per day. And you can do the same with soy.
These techniques and their results he showed them to the minister of agriculture, the mayor ...
At the exit of Vallenar. Province of Huasco, Region of Atacama, Chile - February 2020.
Here is what we read on the internet about Omar Turres as well as a video** of him (https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=472668976714040):
“Omar has dedicated his life to defending the environment and is a member of the Huasco Valley Defense Council. […]”***
“[…] It is a way of motivating, raising awareness and ensuring that people are aware of it and can promote it, while waiting to see if certain authorities are concerned about it and could reproduce it in different communes of the country as a way to bury the serious crisis which is just beginning with the problem of drought.”**
*https://www.soychile.cl/Copiapo/Sociedad/2019/12/05/628523/VIDEO-Agricultor-de-Vallenar-presento-forraje-verde-hidroponico-como-opcion-contra-la-escasez-hidrica .aspx (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.facebook.com/watch/? v = 472668976714040 (accessed February 18, 2021)
***https://elnoticierodelhuasco.cl/2012/08/omar-turres-un-vallenarino-que-ha-dedicado-su-vida-a-la-defensa-del-medioambiente/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
AGRALPA: The Association of Agriculture of Altos La Portada* brings together 144 producers with inside a cooperative that manages the shop on site in which they sell only the products (raw or processed in a local on site) 30 producers who have embarked on this second cooperative project with even a processing room.
The sale takes place here on Saturday and Sunday. The other days, it takes place in Antofagasta in malls, markets, supermarkets, at the Enjoy Casino… in all 7 points of sale.
Exiting Antofagasta. Antofagasta Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile - February / March 2020.
(1) Hydroponics: “[…] very old horticultural technique which allows for a cultivation (hydroculture) above ground. The earth is then replaced by a neutral and sterile substrate, such as coconut fibers or clay balls. In order to compensate for the lack of nutrients […] the grower himself regulates the composition of the nutrient solutions. […] Many advantages: space saving, cleanliness, less frequent diseases and harmful insects, excellent growth and flowering, quality harvest. […]”**
On the internet we read an article from Sciences et Avenir which discusses the performance of this hydroponic "farm":
“[…] Production is currently only operating at 23% of its capacity - all the members of the cooperative have not yet started production - but Altos La Portada is already supplying between 20 and 30 tons of vegetables at Antofagasta supermarkets every month.
When it started in 2011, the cooperative had to face several obstacles: the lack of electricity and, of course, the difficulty of obtaining water, especially since the local water is of poor quality, loaded with water. arsenic and boron. […]”***
*https://blueberriesconsulting.com/fr/como-japon-esta-revolucionando-la-agricultura-sin-tierra-ni-trabajadores/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.culture-hydroponique.com/cms7-culture-hydroponique (accessed February 18, 2021)
***https://www.sciencesetavenir.fr/nature-environnement/chili-faire-pousser-des-legumes-dans-le-desert-le-plus-aride-du-monde_132337 (accessed February 18, 2021)
Dolores Jiménez, the president of the association of producers of the place (AGRALPA: Association of Agriculture of Altos La Portada*) tells us that she started alone here, in March 2011 by leveling the dunes of sand. Now she lives there and her whole family works there.
The government is interested in gaining land on the desert and has granted a concession of 100 hectares, provided support to buy solar panels in 2016, for a generator, for the connection of electricity (which is issued in half of the place and the association that pays for the work fights so that the other half also benefits). Exiting Antofagasta. Antofagasta Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile - February / March 2020.
Here is the conclusion of an article in Sciences et Avenir which speaks of Chile's interest in appropriating agricultural techniques under difficult conditions:
“[…] After this first step, the Chilean authorities want to draw even more inspiration from the long-standing experiences in Israel, California and the south of Spain where smart irrigation technologies have made it possible to produce since years of fruits, vegetables and flowers in particularly arid areas. […] Ultimately, the authorities' objective is to strengthen "food security" in the region and to be able to export the surpluses to other national markets in a country very vulnerable to climate change.”**
*https://www.alj.com/fr/perspective/un-torrent-de-problemes-les-defis-de-leau-en-amerique-latine/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.sciencesetavenir.fr/nature-environnement/chili-faire-pousser-des-legumes-dans-le-desert-le-plus-aride-du-monde_132337 (accessed February 18, 2021)
A farm worker, our guide Walker, in front of one of the greenhouses in which hydroponics is practiced. Their presence is made possible by the use of desalinated water.
The greenhouses are made with a tight white mesh which is ideal for winter, but the summer heat is hellish there and he has to open the door which unfortunately allows pests to enter.
The government is interested in gaining land in the Atacama Desert (the driest in the world) and has granted this 100 hectare concession to the Altos La Portada Agricultural Association.*
There would be possibilities to expand in space and people. 50% of producers here make a living from their production. But apparently no more need to advance on the desert because some get tired and give up their ground. Exiting Antofagasta. Antofagasta Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile - February / March 2020.
*https://www.sciencesetavenir.fr/nature-environnement/chili-faire-pousser-des-legumes-dans-le-desert-le-plus-aride-du-monde_132337 (accessed February 18, 2021)
- Perforated polystyrene tray placed on the water and on which the plants are grown, the roots immersed in the water containing all the nutrients necessary for their development. The 2000 liter tank of water containing nutrients (calcium, potassium, etc.) to irrigate the salads lasts 2 weeks.
- Watering of lettuce seedlings intended to grow in hydroponics. It takes a month to produce a lettuce in summer and 45 days in winter. At harvest time, 1 to 3 people are employed here. Exiting Antofagasta. Antofagasta Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile - February / March 2020.
Our guide Walker with the plants that grow in a substrate of coconut fibers and tierra de hoja. The irrigation system is a drip system triggered twice a day in summer for about twenty minutes, once a day in winter for 5 minutes. Desalinated water comes from a 2000 liter tank which contains the nutrient solution (potassium, etc.) and which lasts 2 to 3 days.
The roof of the greenhouse is made with a dark mesh to shade the plantations.
Walker is Bolivian, he has been working here since 2014; when he returns to his country on vacation to see his family, the bus trip takes him 40 hours. Exiting Antofagasta. Antofagasta Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile - February / March 2020.
He fills his tanker truck with desalinated water to then deliver it to greenhouses that practice hydroponics. The producers have for example 2 tanks of 10,000 liters and one of 5,000 and are delivered once a week.
The 12 large green tanks (properties of the hydroponic farm) contain the water stocks (30m3 each, or 30,000 liters of water) which arrive directly from the desalination plant to which they are connected via pipes.
Exiting Antofagasta. Antofagasta Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile - February / March 2020.
*https://www.sciencesetavenir.fr/nature-environnement/chili-faire-pousser-des-legumes-dans-le-desert-le-plus-aride-du-monde_132337 (accessed February 18, 2021)
Tanker trucks are rented which shuttle between the 12 large green tanks containing the water reserves (30m3 each, or 30,000 liters of water each) from the hydroponic farm and the greenhouses for distribution to each producer.
In the foreground, Dolores Jiménez, the president of the association*. She tells us that she trained in hydroponics with Brazilian Pedro Furlani and Peruvian Carlos Hidalgo. She will also show us around her greenhouses in which she practices hydroponic and organic agriculture: black soap (potassium soap) replaces insecticides, coffee and vinegar fight powdery mildew ... and drip allows significant savings in water (3litres for lettuce ready in a month). At the back of her house, she feeds her animals with the remains of the production after sorting or processing. Exiting Antofagasta. Antofagasta Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile - February / March 2020.
*https://www.sciencesetavenir.fr/nature-environnement/chili-faire-pousser-des-legumes-dans-le-desert-le-plus-aride-du-monde_132337 (accessed February 18, 2021)
One of the entrances to the desalination plant. It is part of the Aguas Antofagasta company, which belongs to the epm group (Public Enterprises of Medellín), a Colombian state enterprise.
It is the only plant in Chile that desalinates water for human consumption.
From what we saw when we were staying here, our hosts were drinking and offering to drink from 2 liter soda bottles! or else water purchased in large carboys. They explained to us that Antofagasta is in a sacrificed area and therefore very polluted. At the exit of Antofagasta. Antofagasta Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile - March 2020.
On the internet, here is what we read about Chile’s water problems:
“[…] Chile, once again, illustrates many of the water-related challenges South America faces.
Its northern part is extremely, almost exclusively, arid. The Atacama Desert, covering 100,000 square kilometers, is the driest place on earth.
The Andes to the east cause clouds to rise and condense before reaching the desert basin, while the Pacific Ocean to the west is too cold to allow shore winds to collect moisture. As a result, Atacama typically experiences measurable precipitation only once per century. The nearby coastal town of Antofagasta (population 350,000) records an average rainfall of just 1mm per year.
“[…] Millions of the planet's inhabitants lack water to live on, mostly due to our own mismanagement of resources […] It is clear that a thoughtful and coherent approach between companies and Governments, coupled with swift action, is needed to tackle this scourge - and the sooner the better. "[…]”*
*https://www.alj.com/fr/perspective/un-torrent-de-problemes-les-defis-de-leau-en-amerique-latine/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
The plant was delivered in 2003 for the production of desalinated water and was expanded in 2018. Faced with growing demand, another expansion project is planned for 2023.
The guide tells us that here we filter the water pumped into the sea with sand, anthracite in thin thickness. During the period of "Mer roja", movements of the sea during which bacteria and micro algae proliferate giving a red color to the sea, the production of desalinated water decreases because the filters become clogged.
During the visit we learn that Antofagasta is supplied with water 80% by the de-Stalinization plant and 17.5% by water from the Cordillera, for Calama it is 100% water from the Cordillera, and Mejillones is the only city in Chile supplied with 100% desalinated water. Tocopilla will also be 100% desalinated as soon as the plant currently under construction is completed this year. Antofagasta. Antofagasta Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile - March 2020.
Later, on the internet, we read that faced with the water shortage, the mines are turning to seawater and that for example another desalination plant will be built in Antofagasta to supply the copper mine of Mantos Blancos:
“[...] Thus, many mines now favor the use of seawater over freshwater. The BHP Billiton group is currently building [November 2015], south of Antofagasta, the largest seawater desalination plant on the continent - with a treatment capacity of 2,500 liters of water per second - to supply the one of its copper mines.
Other groups, such as Antofagasta Minerals, only desalinate a small portion (8%) of the seawater they use, as the salt does not interfere with most copper processing processes. Thanks to seawater, mines significantly reduce their need for fresh water and therefore their environmental impact. According to estimates by the Chilean Copper Commission (Cochilco), this process would stabilize the mining industry's demand for fresh water at around 550 million cubic meters annually from 2016. […]”*
“[…] Almar will operate a water treatment plant for the client's Mantos Blancos project in northern Chile, just 45 kilometers north of that notorious dryland, Antofagasta. The desalination plant will use reverse osmosis to produce water suitable for the type of mining activity that can bring more jobs and prosperity to the region. […]”**
“The Mantos Blancos mine is an open pit and underground copper mine located in the Antofagasta region […]”***
*https://multinationales.org/Chili-quand-l-industrie-miniere-assoiffe-les-villages-et-pollue-l-environnement (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.alj.com/fr/perspective/un-torrent-de-problemes-les-defis-de-leau-en-amerique-latine/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
***https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mine_de_Mantos_Blancos (accessed February 18, 2021)
- Example of a filter cartridge, 8000 spiral membranes, the equivalent of 40m2 of surface. Thanks to a pressure of 65 bars the brine is extracted.
- "High pressure - Reverse osmosis"
After having been filtered and then desalinated, the water must be remineralized before it is delivered to the city. In other remineralization filters, it is recharged with sodium hypochlorite, calcium hydroxide and sodium floride. Antofagasta. Antofagasta Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile - March 2020.
Here is what we read on the internet about the desalinated water of the technique used:
“[…] This is a membrane process: fresh water is extracted from salt water at ... Pure, liquid water can then be extracted as well as brine [...]”*
“[…] Only 1% of the desalinated water would be used to quench thirst, and adding magnesium to it would be a very expensive process. However, some experts believe that even water used in agriculture should contain magnesium. […] Furthermore, the WHO stated in its 2011 Drinking Water Quality Guidelines that essential minerals are lost during the desalination process, and already recommends adding magnesium artificially. […]”**
*https://www.encyclopedie-energie.org/le-dessalement-deau-de-mer-et-des-eaux-saumatres/ (accessed February 18, 2021) **https://sciencepost.fr/mauvaise- new-drinking-desalinated-water-would-increase-the-risk-of-heart-disease / (accessed February 18, 2021)
Filter room, cartridges that contain 8,000 spiral membranes, the equivalent of 40m2 of surface. Thanks to a pressure of 65 bars the brine is extracted.
Antofagasta. Antofagasta Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile - March 2020.
On the internet, here is what we read about the water problems in Latin America:
“[…] In terms of water, Latin America falls under a dark irony: it is a region where water sources are abundant, but it is also a region where some 36 million people people do not have access to safe drinking water. […] Across South America, about half of all water comes from aquifers that are increasingly polluted by commercial uses. For those looking to deal with some of these dangers, time is running out, as humanity's impact on the natural world means that the problems of today could be the calamities of tomorrow. […]”*
*https://www.alj.com/fr/perspective/un-torrent-de-problemes-les-defis-de-leau-en-amerique-latine/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
On the internet we read this about solar energy in Chile:
“[…] Chile's solar thermal sector is still very underdeveloped.
The photovoltaic sector provided 7.8% of national electricity production in 2019, and this share is estimated at 8.5% at the end of 2019; this solar penetration indicator places the country 4th in the world; its growth was very rapid from 2014. Chile is in 2019 the 14th world producer of photovoltaic electricity. The installed photovoltaic capacity reached 3,104 MWp in July 2020; power plants under construction total 2,801 MWp and projects under evaluation 6,771 MWp.
The concentrated thermodynamic solar sector is beginning to emerge, with in 2020 a 110 MW power station at the end of construction and projects under evaluation totaling 2,014 MW. […]”*
*https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Énergie_solaire_au_Chili (accessed February 18, 2021)
On the internet we read the energy policy projects of the President of Chile, the country which was to host the 25th World Conference on Climate Change before it was moved to Madrid:
“Chile announced on Tuesday [June 4, 2019] the closure of eight coal-fired power stations within five years, as part of a plan to produce 100% electricity from renewable sources by 2040.
The closure of these plants, which represent 20% of the country's energy capacity, should lead to a significant drop in annual CO2 emissions by the power generation sector: they will drop from 30 million tonnes currently to 4 million tonnes in five years, according to figures provided by the government.
"The decision announced today is a concrete and real form of transforming words and commitments into facts and realities", welcomed Chilean President Sebastian Pinera, during a speech delivered in the north of the country. After their closure, these plants will however remain "in an operational reserve" strategic situation, in case of emergency or power shortages, he said.
In Chile, 40% of the electricity supply comes from 28 coal-fired "thermal" bpower plants with a cumulative capacity of 5,500 megawatts. The goal is to replace them by 2040 with renewable energy sources. […]”*
*https://www.connaissancedesenergies.org/afp/chili-fermeture-de-huit-centrales-charbon-dici-cinq-ans-190604 (accessed February 18, 2021)
- Photovoltaic park not far from La Ligua. Province of Petorca, Region of Valparaíso.
Chile - February 2020.
Here is what we read on the internet about Chile's renewable energy policy:
“[…] Solar energy in Chile is off to a late but promising start, thanks to some of the best sunshine in the world and a support policy initiated in 2014: the government of Michelle Bachelet then set a target of 70% d renewable electricity in 2050, increased in 2019 by President Sebastian Piñera to 100% renewable electricity in 2040. […]”*
*https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Énergie_solaire_au_Chili (accessed February 18, 2021)
On the internet we read the energy policy projects of the President of Chile, a country which was to host COP25 before it was moved to Madrid:
“Chile wants to play good students when it comes to climate. Head of state Sebastian Pinera announced Thursday [April 11, 2019] that his country will no longer build any coal-fired power plants. This declaration comes at a time when Chile is due to host the 25th UN climate conference in November 2019. […] And wants more than ever to give pledges of its goodwill.
Sebastian Pinera has set an ambitious course for his country. He wants to achieve a production of 70% renewable energy by 2030, against 20% currently. And is even aiming for 100% in 2040. […]”*
*https://www.lesechos.fr/monde/ameriques/le-chili-veut-tourner-le-dos-au-charbon-1008861 (accessed February 18, 2021)
Pelicano photovoltaic park between La Serena and Vallenar. Our host one evening tells us that the energy produced by these solar panels is used to power the metro in the Chilean capital if we understood correctly. Chile - February 2020.
Here is what we read on the internet about this solar park that would supplies the Santiago metro:
“[January 11, 2018] The President of the Republic of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, inaugurated the El Pelícano solar power plant, which will supply electricity to the Santiago metro.
The solar park, which belongs to the American producer of photovoltaic modules SunPower, a subsidiary of the French oil company Total, has a capacity of 100 MW and is located on a 186 hectare site in La Higuera, in the Chilean region of Coquimbo.
The installation will supply energy to Metro de Santiago de Chile and cover 42 percent of the electricity consumption of this transport infrastructure. The power generation that the plant will supply to Metro under a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) is estimated at 300 gigawatt hours per year. “The Santiago metro will be the first in the world to operate with 60% energy from solar and wind power plants. No other metro has integrated such a large scale of unconventional renewable energy into its consumption, ”President Bachelet said during the plant's opening ceremony. […]”*
*https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/news/news100mw-el-pelicano-solar-plant-inaugurated-in-chile-150118-6027324/ (Accessed February 18, 2021)
Here is what we read on the internet about this solar park that would supplies the Santiago metro:
“[…] The Santiago metro is the first metro in the world to have an energy matrix composed mainly of unconventional renewable energies (NCRE). 42% of the energy used by Metro comes from the sun's energy and 18% from the wind. Thus, Metro is the only underground transport in the world to operate with 60% clean energy.
With this, and aware of its contribution, Metro contributes to the achievement of the national development objective of the NCRE: by 2025, Chile intends that 20% of its energy matrix come from non-polluting energy. […]
2016 was the year in which Metro became a global pioneer in obtaining the highest percentage of its energy matrix from NCRE. With the signing of the electricity supply contract, 42% of the energy used by Metro comes from the El Pelícano photovoltaic plant. […]”*
*https://www.metro.cl/metroambiente/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
- Wind farm
- Photovoltaic plant under construction
Calama, El Loa Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile - February 2020.
“[…] Solar potential of Chile
The north of the country is particularly interesting for solar energy: the Atacama Desert has the highest level of solar irradiation on the planet with irradiation levels exceeding 3,000 kWh / m2. For comparison, Provence is at 1,600 kWh / m2.
The Bolero photovoltaic power plant in the Atacama Desert reaches 3,669 kWh / m2 / year, one of the highest levels of solar radiation in the world. […]”*
*https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Énergie_solaire_au_Chili (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here is what we read on the internet about the energy policy projects of the President of Chile, a country that was to host the 25th World Conference on Climate Change before it was moved to Madrid, as well as about the share of renewable energies in electricity in Chile:
“The Head of State announced that his country will no longer build coal-fired power stations. Chile, which will host COP25 in November, also plans to accelerate the energetic transition to reach 70% of renewable energies by 2030. […]”*
“[…] Electricity represented 22.3% of Chile's final energy consumption in 2018; 55% of electricity production was provided by fossil fuels in 2019: coal 32.6%, natural gas 18.6% and petroleum 3.7%; renewable energies total 45%, including 25.7% hydraulic, 7.8% solar, 5.9% wind, 5.4% biomass and 0.2% geothermal. The government has set the goal of achieving 70% renewables by 2050, and solar and wind installations are growing rapidly. The share of solar photovoltaic in total electricity production at the end of 2019 places the country 4th in the world, and several thermodynamic solar power plants are under construction in the north of the country. […]”**
*https://www.lesechos.fr/monde/ameriques/le-chili-veut-tourner-le-dos-au-charbon-1008861 (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Énergie_au_Chili (accessed February 18, 2021)
Photovoltaic park of the company Acciona, in the Atacama desert, at the exit of Calama and in the direction of San Pedro de Atacama. Acciona is a Spanish company (construction and energy, real estate and also a maritime transport company) which was one of the sponsors of the COP25 in Madrid (see our report on the COP25 on this site) and which invests in energy renewable (wind, photovoltaic). In the background, a wind farm. Calama, El Loa Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile - March 2020.
We read this on the internet about Chile's renewable energy policy and this photovoltaic park:
“[…] Coal-fired power stations total 5,500 megawatts and produce 40% of the country's electricity; the Chilean energy plan is targeting 100% electricity from renewable sources by 2040. President Sebastian Pinera however specified that the country would keep these plants in “strategic reserve”.*
*https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Énergie_au_Chili (accessed February 18, 2021)
We read this on the internet about this wind farm:
“[…] Canela wind farm.
The first Chilean wind farms were those of Canela I (18 MW) and Canela II (69 MW), both commissioned in 2007. […]
The energy sector in Chile is marked by the country's poverty in fossil resources: it produces only 22% of its natural gas needs and 8% of coal and imports 97% of its oil needs.
Chile's primary energy consumption is 11% above the world average and 72% above that of Latin America. It is dominated by fossil fuels: 75.7% in 2019, including 41.7% petroleum, 20.4% coal and 13.7% natural gas; renewable energies provide the remaining 24.3%, including 16.9% biomass, 4.5% hydraulics and 2.9% wind and solar. […]”*
*https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Énergie_au_Chili (accessed February 18, 2021)
We read this on the internet about Chile's renewable energy policy and its location:
“[…] Coal-fired power stations total 5,500 megawatts and produce 40% of the country's electricity; the Chilean energy plan is targeting 100% electricity from renewable sources by 2040. President Sebastian Pinera however specified that the country would keep these plants in “strategic reserve”.**
“[…] Mainstream is currently developing 2,300 MW of wind and photovoltaic projects in Chile. The company has been active in the Chilean market since 2009, the year of its association with Andes Energy, a local Chilean developer. Mainstream recently won a public tender to develop and build the 150 MW Calama Oeste wind farm, which is located in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. […]”***
*https://eolienne.f4jr.org/parcs/calama_oeste (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Énergie_au_Chili (accessed February 18, 2021)
***https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mainstream-renewable-power-boucle-le-financement-et-commence-le-chantier-dun-parc-eolien-de-70-millions-usd -au-chili-189343591.html (accessed February 18, 2021)
We read this on the internet about the types of energy in Chile and the country's policy towards renewable energies:
“[…] The energy sector in Chile is marked by the country's poverty in fossil resources: it produces only 22% of its natural gas needs and 8% of those of coal and imports 97% of its needs in oil.
Chile's primary energy consumption is 11% above the world average and 72% above that of Latin America. It is dominated by fossil fuels: 75.7% in 2019, including 41.7% petroleum, 20.4% coal and 13.7% natural gas; renewable energies provide the remaining 24.3%, including 16.9% biomass, 4.5% hydraulics and 2.9% wind and solar. […]”*
“[…] The Chilean energy plan targets 100% electricity from renewable sources by 2040. President Sebastian Pinera however specified that the country would keep these plants in "strategic reserve".”**
*https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Énergie_au_Chili (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Énergie_au_Chili (accessed February 18, 2021)
We read this on the internet about Chile's renewable energy policy and its location:
“[…] The Chilean energy plan targets 100% electricity from renewable sources by 2040. President Sebastian Pinera however specified that the country would keep these plants in "strategic reserve".”**
“[…] In a few years, the country has become the Eldorado of renewables. This status is due to the exceptional natural conditions of the country. The Atacama offers 300 days of sunshine per year, the highest level of solar radiation in the world, a flat site that allows installations to be carried out at the lowest cost ... "The efficiency of solar panels here is 31%, while 'it is 15% in the south of France,' says Guillaume de Forceville, CEO of EDF Chile.
Same situation for wind power. Thanks to the powerful winds from the Pacific, the turbines are turning at full speed. Characteristic of Chile, renewables thrive without subsidies. […]”***
*https://eolienne.f4jr.org/parcs/calama_oeste (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Énergie_au_Chili (accessed February 18, 2021)
***https://www.challenges.fr/energie-et-environnement/pourquoi-edf-mise-a-fond-sur-le-chili_441115 (accessed February 18, 2021)
Many people on the course informed us that the mines that we see use a lot of water (which has been verified in our readings) and we wondered how to do to document this aspect a little as we are told. has said everywhere that it will be impossible for us to enter the mines. It is therefore with relief that we learn that the largest open-pit copper mine in the world, the Chuquicamata mine, is organizing tours.
Later on the internet we read that in Andacollo there is an open pit gold and copper mine * which belongs to Teck Resources. ** This is the same Canadian company whose project for the largest tar sand mine in open sky (in northern Alberta, a province in western Canada) raises the protests of indigenous peoples who demonstrated in front of the Canadian Embassy during the COP25 in Madrid (see the COP25 report on our site).***
Andacollo, Province of Elqui, Region of Coquimbo, Chile - February 2020.
Here is what we read about the Andacollo mine:
“The Andacollo Mine or Carmen de Andacollo Mine is an open pit gold and copper mine located in the Coquimbo region of Chile. It is 90% owned by Teck Resources.”* “Teck Resources Limited… is a Canadian mining company specializing in the extraction, processing and distribution of lead, zinc and coal.”**
*https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mine_d%27Andacollo (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teck_Resources (accessed February 18, 2021)
***https://www.indigenousclimateaction.com/entries/first-nations-demand-canada-reject-teck-frontier-mine-during-double-protest-at-cop-25 (Accessed February 18, 2021)
- Transport of ore by rail and drinking water by tanker truck. Not far from Freirina, Huasco Province, Atacama Region.
In central and northern Chile, we were able to observe that surprisingly the only functioning railways are those used to transport minerals, all those dedicated to the transport of people seemed to us to be abandoned. Chile - February 2020.
Later on the internet we have confirmation that train transport for travelers is very rare:
“Contrary to neighboring countries, in Chile, the train is a means of transport less and less used. For the benefit of bus connections. There are only 3 lines in operation: Calama-Oruro, once a week; the southern lines, Santiago-Temuco and Santiago-Concepción, are the busiest. By bus: dense and efficient network throughout the territory.”*
*https://www.voyageursdumonde.fr/voyage-sur-mesure/voyages/guide-voyage/chili/infos-pratiques/transport (accessed February 18, 2021)
- "Dignity!" From Plaza Italia in Santiago de Chile, renamed Plaza Dignitad by the demonstrators, we found this word inscribed everywhere during our journey.
- "Our copper"
Below the Chilean Copper Pride mural, sitting on the sidewalk a person in need reaches out.
Later in the premises where we register for the mine tour, we read this on the walls: “Codelco, everyone’s pride -With the strength of our history, we are transforming Chile.” There is no charge for the visit, but instead we are offered to make a donation for disabled children.
Calama, Province of El Loa, Region Antofagasta, Chile - March 2020.
On the internet, here is what we read about Calama and the wealth for the country generated by copper mining:
“[…] Calama is special that it never really rained, making it one of the driest places in the world with an annual average rainfall of 5 mm (0.2 inches) […]”*
“[...] The constitutional text also consolidates a development model based on the exploitation and export of natural resources. This model was implemented by the proponents of neoclassical economics, the famous "Chicago Boys" […] by Milton Friedman, and resulted in the facilitation of the granting of mining concessions to companies (1983 mining code ) and by the privatization of access to water (water code of 1982). The return to democracy during the 1990s did not alter this model and the wealth gained by the export of copper (55% of the country's exports), of which Chile has the main world reserves (29%) and is the largest producer in the world, has enabled the country to ensure its growth. […]”**
*https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calama_ (Chile) (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://noria-research.com/chili-la-crise-sociale/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
On the horizon, it tells us that these flattened mountains are man-made, probably the result of the excavation of the mine in our opinion. He also explains that in 1969 the company that operated the mine was North American, that it was nationalized by the government of Salvador Allende in 1971 and that since 1976 the copper deposit has been managed by Codelco (Corporación Nacional del Cobre ), 100% owned by the Chilean State. Calama, Province of El Loa, Region Antofagasta, Chile - March 2020.
Here is an excerpt from what we found on the internet about the passage of Che Guevara:
“[…] In 1952, at the age of 24, Ernesto Guevara, the wandering Argentine who is not yet Che, made this route, during his first trip across the continent, with his friend Alberto Granado.
[…] When Ernesto Guevara and Alberto Granado go up the saltpeter valley, another mine attracts them. Chuquicamata, from which comes the red gold of Chile, copper. On the road to the exploitation, in Baquedano, today a town of dust and passing truckers about thirty kilometers from the ruins of Chacabuco, the two travelers meet a minor who has just been fired for his membership of the Communist Party. . Beginning of the political engagement of young Guevara? In his two long wanderings through Latin America, which will lead him to the sides of Fidel Castro, it is in any case his first encounter with communism. […]
In Calama, the workers already benefit from a hospital reserved for them, financed by the company, as well as two colleges and three primary schools. Far from the “imperialist exploitation” denounced by Guevara in his newspaper, copper workers are today [2007] among the best paid in Chile. "This does not mean that the debates at the time are no longer taking place," continues Hernán Guerrero. Now 70% of copper is mined by the private sector. It would take a new nationalization. And that all the money that comes out of the mines goes back to the Chileans instead of going abroad. […]”*
*https://www.liberation.fr/cahier-special/2007/10/09/chili-la-traversee-du-desert_103445/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
As for the Hambach open-cast coal mine in Germany (see COP23 report on our site), we also find here gigantic machines including trucks and extraordinary cranes.
The guide tells us that these are the largest trucks in the world, in the future there will be no more because from open-pit mining we will move on to underground mining. There are 67 transport trucks like these. Before there were 100 but they are reducing the number. Such a machine costs $ 50 million (a single tire costs $ 30,000: the equivalent of 6,000 hours of labor here) and consumes 200 liters of oil per hour. Calama, Province of El Loa, Region Antofagasta, Chile - March 2020.
In an article from rfi, here is what we read about the Chuquicamata mine and its restructuring in the summer of 2019:
“[…] The iconic Chuquicamata mine, over 100 years old, is undergoing restructuring. Located at some 2,800 meters above sea level, it is the largest open-cast copper mine in the world. Next month, it will begin mining copper for the first time from the site's basement, leading to the departure of 1,700 workers from the company in the coming months. The operation of the subsoil involves some 5.8 billion dollars of work. […]”*
*https://www.rfi.fr/fr/ameriques/20190614-chili-mineurs-chuquicamata-greve-illimitee-cuivre (accessed February 18, 2021)
As for the Hambach open-cast coal mine in Germany (see COP23 report on our site), we also find here gigantic machines including trucks and extraordinary cranes.
Calama, Province of El Loa, Region Antofagasta, Chile - March 2020.
On the internet, we can read this about the Chuquicamata mine:
“[…] Located in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, 15 km from the city of Calama and 250 km north-east of Antofagasta, this mine alone contains 13% of the world's copper reserves.
The mine is located between 2,700 and 3,000 meters above sea level, in an area where precipitation is non-existent. The mine is elliptical in shape, has an area of approximately 8 km2 and is in places more than 850 m deep, making it the second deepest open pit in the world after the Bingham Canyon mine (1,210 m deep) in Utah in the United States.
It belongs to the Chilean state group Codelco. […]”*
*https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuquicamata (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here we work every day of the year, 24 hours a day.
The mine produces 450,000 tonnes of copper per year. China is the main customer, exporting is from the port of Mejillones.
The rock contains 80% copper, it is crushed the first time which makes it easier to transport. Calama, Province of El Loa, Region Antofagasta, Chile - March 2020.
On the internet, we can read this about the Chuquicamata mine:
“[…] The main wealth of Chile, the copper mines and related industries were nationalized without compensation in 1971 under the Popular Unity government of Salvador Allende, then returned by the government of General Pinochet to the Anaconda Company, which will be sold in 1977 to Atlantic Richfield Company (Arco). The National Copper Corporation (Codelco) now manages this copper mine, the largest in the world. Chuquicamata supplies nearly a fifth of the national copper production. […]”*
*https://www.universalis.fr/encyclopedie/chuquicamata/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
* https://www.capital.fr/votre-carriere/chili-greve-dans-la-mine-de-cuivre-geante-de-codelco-a-chuquicamata-1341773 (accessed February 18, 2021)
"The copper produced here is sold almost all over the world. The mine also produces molybdenum which is used in airplanes and aerospace," we are told. Calama, Province of El Loa, Region Antofagasta, Chile - March 2020.
On the internet, we can read this about the living conditions in the Chuquicamata mine and for the surrounding populations:
“[…] The metal is transported by rail over 230 kilometers to Antofagasta, from where it is exported. Due to a very hostile physical environment (3000 meters above sea level, absolute drought, high daily thermal amplitudes), difficult working conditions and significant environmental problems linked to the high water consumption and the use of sulfuric acid, high salaries are necessary to retain several tens of thousands of people in the Calama-Chuquicamata agglomeration (125,000 inhabitants in 2002), a veritable “copper city”. […]”*
“[…] "Codelco and Soquimich killed the Loa", explains Eliana […] she saw the river suddenly die, […] In addition to the river, the air and the surrounding fields were permanently contaminated by mining waste - in particular arsenic and sulfuric acid: the cattle died, as well as the bees. It has become impossible to cultivate the fields. The presence of arsenic in the soil had risen at levels ten times above the critical threshold.
Despite expert reports, the Ministry of the Environment cleared Codelco. The company was therefore never sued, and never paid a single penny to repair the damage suffered by the community. Without the possibility of cultivating the land, and deprived of the income previously derived from tourism and river shrimp farming, the inhabitants fell into the nets of another mining company, Soquimich, which bought 70% of the rights to community owned water extraction. […]”**
*https://www.universalis.fr/encyclopedie/chuquicamata/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
***https://multinationales.org/Chili-quand-l-industrie-miniere-assoiffe-les-villages-et-pollue-l-environnement (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here is what we read on the internet about the use of water in the mine and the supply of electricity and water:
“[…] As for copper, the ore is placed after extraction in flotation tanks, made up of water and various chemicals, such as arsenic or sulfuric acid, allowing the ore to be separated from other rocks. This contaminated water is then stored indefinitely in conservation tanks and cannot be recycled. […]”*
“[…] Electric power is supplied by the Tocopilla power station, from which high-voltage lines carry current over 150 kilometers. Finally, drinking and industrial water is transported over more than 100 kilometers by pipelines capturing the upper reaches of the Andean rivers. […]”**
“[…] In Chile, the sectors that consume the most water are agriculture (around 77%), industry (9.1%), mining (7%) and drinking water and sanitation. (5.9%). […]”***
*https://jeunes-ihedn.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/LJI_impacts-exploitation-eau-industries-extractives-Chili_Emilie-THIARD_112020-1.pdf (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.universalis.fr/encyclopedie/chuquicamata/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
***http://mapecology.ma/actualites/secheresse/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
At the very beginning, the guide explained to us that before there were 25,000 people living there in the barracks of the mine.
Today this "mini-city" is deserted, workers now live in or near the town of Calama.
Calama, Province of El Loa, Region Antofagasta, Chile - March 2020.
Here is what we read on the internet about the workers and the strike that the mine experienced last summer:
“In Chile, the workers of the largest open-cast copper mine in the world began an indefinite strike this Friday, June 14, 2019. Almost 70% of employees have decided to stop work as of 5 a.m. local time. […] Codelco, the largest copper producer in the world, offered a small increase in wages and very high bonuses to its employees, to the tune of around 16,000 dollars over three years.
[…] In the midst of the Washington-Beijing trade war
The unions are demanding better health coverage for these minors, some of whom suffer from chronic illnesses as a result of their work. But for now, the company is only offering them five years of health coverage after they leave.
This strike is extremely sensitive for the company, because at the moment the economic war between China and the United States is affecting copper prices and reducing Codelco's profitability.
Two years ago, a historically long strike crippled one of Chile's largest copper mines, affecting the country's growth and red metal prices globally.”*
*https://www.rfi.fr/fr/ameriques/20190614-chili-mineurs-chuquicamata-greve-illimitee-cuivre (accessed February 18, 2021)
Read the well-documented report found on the internet of which here is an extract as well as information on the use of lithium as a treatment, therapeutic properties which are less mentioned:
“[…] Chile holds around 45% of the world's reserves of this ultralight metal, essential for the manufacture of batteries for mobile phones and electric cars. And while many countries are starting their energy transition, the prices of this "white gold" have tripled since 2011. "Global demand for lithium, at around 300,000 tonnes per year, should reach 1 million tonnes by less ten years," says Sebastián Sichel, enthusiastic.
On the edge of the Atacama salar, away from tourist routes, a ballet of tankers and vehicles entering and leaving the facilities of the two world leaders in lithium: the American Albemarle and the Chemical and Mining Company of Chile ( SQM). Long black pipes through which passes the brine (water very concentrated in salt) pumped into the salt lake, and white mounds of mineral salts not exploited by the mine: this is all that we will see of the these companies, which did not wish to open their doors to us. […]”*
“[…] Millions of people owe their psychic stability to this simple substance, whose balancing effect was discovered almost by accident in the 1950s. Lithium, the third element of Mendeleev's periodic table, is an alkali metal. Manic depression patients are treated with pills containing lithium carbonate, lithium sulfate or lithium citrate, in short, lithium salts. […]”**
*https://www.liberation.fr/planete/2019/06/07/chili-le-salar-s-alarme-du-boom-du-lithium_1732511/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.cerveauetpsycho.fr/sd/psychiatrie/dossier-depression-letrange-pouvoir-du-lithium-3048.php (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.vidal.fr/maladies/psychisme/trouble-bipolaire/medicaments.html (accessed February 18, 2021)
Read well-documented reports on the internet, of which here are excerpts:
“[…] "Chile faces an incredible opportunity thanks to the rise of electric vehicles: we have the world's largest reserves of copper, one of the main materials used in the construction of electric cars; we have one of the highest levels of solar radiation in the world, and we also have the world's largest reserves of lithium," summarizes Sebastián Sichel, executive vice-president of Corfo, the Corporation for the development of production. This public agency owns the salt lake in the Atacama Desert, where most of the country's lithium reserves are found, "the purest in the world and the easiest to extract", emphasizes Sebastián Sichel. […]”*
“[…] The second largest producer in the world behind Australia, the country is in a very different situation from Argentina. A handful of companies operate in the gigantic Atacama Desert to the north: mainly the Chilean SQM, the Chinese Tianqi - which bought 24% of SQM's shares last year - and the American Albemarle.
This oligopoly situation is explained by a regulation dating from the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990): lithium exploitation is supervised by the State and the government body Corfo allocates production quotas to companies. […]”**
*https://www.liberation.fr/planete/2019/06/07/chili-le-salar-s-alarme-du-boom-du-lithium_1732511/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.lesechos.fr/industrie-services/industrie-lourde/le-lithium-un-tresor-qui-divise-lamerique-du-sud-1002063 (accessed February 18, 2021)
Here is what we can read on the internet about the Atacama Salar and lithium:
“[…] Over 2,000 meters above sea level, here we are in the driest desert in the world. A strategic location for the Chilean economy. […] Chile: the "salar" is alarmed by the lithium boom.
The Atacama Salt Desert is facing soaring demand for the metal essential for battery manufacturing across the world. Overproduction is damaging the region's biodiversity. […]”*
“[…] Lithium is definitely the resource of tomorrow for the global energy market. It is a minor component (about 5%) but essential for the batteries of mobile phones, computers or MP3 players ... That is to say a total of 1.5 billion electronic devices in the world.
The precious metal is mainly used for the manufacture of ceramics and glass, only 24% is used for batteries. This proportion should largely reverse with the dizzying increase in the consumption of electronic objects, and especially the global advent of electric and hybrid vehicles. […]”**
*https://www.liberation.fr/planete/2019/06/07/chili-le-salar-s-alarme-du-boom-du-lithium_1732511/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.argentina-excepcion.com/guide-voyage/economie-politique-argentine/lithium-argentine-chili-bolivie (accessed February 18, 2021)
In the Atacama Salt Flats, the Chilean salt desert, the entrance to the lithium mine, this metal essential for making batteries for mobile phones and electric cars. The guard informs us that we are not allowed to go further. Atacama Desert, Province of El Loa, Region Antofagasta, Chile - March 2020.
Read the well-documented report on the internet, of which here is an excerpt as well as the announcement of China's entry into SQM's capital in 2018:
“ […] "Companies draw indirectly from fossil water", non-renewable water, regrets Ingrid Garces, doctor in geochemistry and professor at the University of Antofagasta. "The salt lake is overexploited, she says. SQM's evaporation ponds alone are equivalent to the surface area of 2,400 football fields." However, "to obtain a ton of lithium, more than 2 million liters of water evaporate. It's enormous. As we can't see it, we say to ourselves that it does not pollute, but we are losing water in a desert area, warns the researcher. There may be consequences in terms of biodiversity." Not to mention that the Chilean authorities have initiated a process of sanctions against SQM. (1) Because between 2013 and 2015, it extracted more brine than authorized. The mining company, at the origin of one of the biggest scandals of illegal financing of Chilean political life, between 2009 and 2014, and controlled until very recently by a son-in-law of the dictator Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990), accuses its competitor Albemarle of having also extracted more brines than what the regulations allowed. […]”*
“The Chinese giant Tianqi is making a place for itself at SQM and becomes leader in lithium
The Chilean Constitutional Court has delivered its verdict. The Chinese lithium giant Tianqi is authorized to buy 24% of the mining company SQM, its competitor, and is positioned as a leader in the lithium market, an essential raw material in the manufacture of electric batteries. […]”**
(1) SQM: Chemical and Mining Company of Chile**
*https://www.liberation.fr/planete/2019/06/07/chili-le-salar-s-alarme-du-boom-du-lithium_1732511/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.usinenouvelle.com/article/le-geant-chinois-tianqi-se-fait-une-place-dans-sqm-et-devient-leader-du-lithium.N761834 (accessed February 18, 2021)
Read the well-documented report on the internet, here is an excerpt:
“[…] To extract the ore from the Atacama salt flats, they pump the lithium-rich brines from the bottom of the salt lake, and pour them into large basins set up in the middle of the salt desert, in full sun. Over the months, through the effect of evaporation, these "pools" pass through a hundred shades of blue and green, to form an impressive palette of bright colors, which contrasts with the mineral landscape of the desert. At the end of the process, mining companies recover a highly concentrated lithium solution, which is sent to the factory, to make lithium carbonate, which is then exported to battery manufacturers. […]”*
“[…] "In this short period of time, the exploitation of lithium and with the new SQM (1) agreements with Corfo, the increase in production, will kill the Atacama Salar, where there is a lot of life. And it also has to do with the upland salt pans, the lagoons, which are all licensed for mining. This will be the collapse of the whole life of the peoples who live on water, on valleys ”[…]”**
(1) SQM: Chemical and Mining Company of Chile
*https://www.liberation.fr/planete/2019/06/07/chili-le-salar-s-alarme-du-boom-du-lithium_1732511/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://regionalista.cl/dos-personas-detenidas-tras-manifestacion-contra-la-contaminacion-en-la-inauguracion-de-exponor/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
"Atacama Somos Todos" fights against pollution and overexploitation of water generated by lithium mines in the salar of the Atacama desert.
- Screenshot of the arrest of two people from the "Atacama Somos Todos" group after a protest against pollution during the opening ceremony of the international mining fair, Exponor, on May 27, 2019.
San Pedro de Atacama, Atacama Desert, Chile - March 2020.
(1) "Atacama Somos Todos": "We are a pluralist, non-profit and public interest organization whose mission is to contribute to the protection of the environment and the sustainable development of all the inhabitants of the salt basin of 'Atacama."*
Here is what we read on the internet about this NGO and its actions:
“With two people arrested, a demonstration organized in Antofagasta by the "Atacama Somos Todos" group ended during the opening ceremony of the international mining fair, Exponor, this Monday, May 27 in the morning.
The organization circulated a web with the message "Atacama is defending himself. We will not be a zone of sacrifice", denouncing the serious pollution problems caused by mining in our region, especially in the interior.
Various national, international and regional authorities participated in the activity, including leaders of mining companies in our region.
In a conversation with Regionalista.cl, Saturnino Ramos, one of the spokespersons for the group, explained that the protest was organized by people from San Pedro de Atacama who work in tourism and also belong to indigenous communities. […]”**
*https://www.facebook.com/Atacamasomostodos.ong/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://regionalista.cl/dos-personas-detenidas-tras-manifestacion-contra-la-contaminacion-en-la-inauguracion-de-exponor/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
"Atacama Somos Todos" fights against pollution and overexploitation of water generated by lithium mines in the salar of the Atacama desert.
- Nino, spokesperson for "Atacama Somos Todos" in front of a detail of the poster which had been used to denounce the pollution during the inauguration of Exponor (the international mining fair, May 27, 2019), a battery on which is written 'Lithium'.
San Pedro de Atacama, Atacama Desert. Province of El Loa, Region Antofagasta, Chile - March 2020.
(1) "Atacama Somos Todos": "We are a pluralist, non-profit and public interest organization whose mission is to contribute to the protection of the environment and the sustainable development of all the inhabitants of the salt basin of 'Atacama."*
Here is what we read on the internet about the problem with water caused by the exploitation of this metal as well as about "Atacama Somos Todos" and its actions:
“As an ingredient in modern batteries, the increasingly precious metal is creating fierce competition for water resources.
The production of lithium, a metal that has become strategic because of its use in modern batteries, is exploding in Chile. The world's first deposit lies in the basements of the Atacama Desert, in the form of a brine then evaporated to extract the lithium salt. But this industrial activity arouses increasingly sharp criticism from environmentalists. And now there are economic and geopolitical concerns, after the significant investment of a Chinese group in this sector. […]”*
“[…] In the opinion of the leader, "the State is too permissive in granting these concessions" [new lithium exploitation agreements by the SQM (1) which will allow the increase in production], a situation which motivated them to create this "citizen movement in which there are people from all walks of life, from the tourism industry, from indigenous communities, who seek to protect these places, because it is a heritage of all, a fantastic heritage, but which is completely in danger." […] "We are not against the mining industry, we know that it is important. But we are against the overexploitation of water resources, because they kill the lives of the whole chain that continues down and we can't allow that. We have to set limits," he concluded. […]”**
“The NGO Atacama Somos Todos was born out of a citizen movement which decided to act to deal with the environmental situation of the Salar Atacama basin through a non-profit legal entity. […]
Goals : -Generate citizen awareness Concerning the environmental risk situation of the area and therefore -Generate social pressure to help stop the advance of mining and other intervention agents that destroy or could destroy or deteriorate the territory and its ecosystems. […] -Generate sustainable tourism Implement the relevant improvements within companies and various actors in the field and with tourists, through the incorporation of good practices and behaviors, demonstrating that tourism can be a great ally in the environmental and social struggle. […]”***
(1) SQM: Chemical and Mining Company of Chile
*https://www.lexpress.fr/diaporama/diapo-photo/actualite/sciences/l-eau-victime-de-la-guerre-du-lithium-au-chili_2040488.html (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://regionalista.cl/dos-personas-detenidas-tras-manifestacion-contra-la-contaminacion-en-la-inauguracion-de-exponor/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
***https://atacamasomostodos.cl/quienes-somos/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
Nino, spokesperson for "Atacama Somos Todos" (1) in front of the poster which had been used to denounce the pollution during the inauguration of Exponor (the international mining fair, May 27, 2019).
San Pedro de Atacama, Atacama Desert. Province of El Loa, Region Antofagasta, Chile - March 2020.
(1) "Atacama Somos Todos": "We are a pluralist, non-profit and public interest organization whose mission is to contribute to the protection of the environment and the sustainable development of all the inhabitants of the salt basin of 'Atacama."*
Here is what we read on the internet about "Atacama Somos Todos" and his actions, about the flamingos as well as the areas of sacrifice:
“[…] "San Pedro de Atacama is a global destination. Chile has been named one of the most important adventure tourism locations in the world, thanks to these landscapes. And these places are going to be tapped and all the water is going to be taken out, practically all of life is going to end. And this will directly affect Antofagasta, because the water Antofagasta and other cities consume comes from the mountain range. If there is pollution and indiscriminate use of water here, it goes against everyone," he added. […]
Finally, the leader did not rule out new mobilizations in different parts of the municipality of Antofagasta and the region, while confirming that they are organizing with other communities in the north of the country who suffer from the same problems. […]”*
“[…] The inhabitants of the region are also worried about the disappearance of some of the flamingos, which feed on the micro-algae living in the waters of the lagoons of the salt desert and set up their nests there. "Before, when we arrived at the lagoon, it was pink," remembers Fabiola Ramos, who grew up in the region. "Now, when we go, there are very few, and sometimes you have to wait before seeing any." Indeed, one of the three species of flamingos that lives in the salar, the Andean flamingo, is today considered "vulnerable". According to Conaf, the public agency that manages Chilean national parks, the number of Andean flamingos fell by more than 30% between 1997 and 2013 in Chile, in part due to mining activity and unregulated tourism. […]”**
“[…] The Chilean organizations for the defense of the environment for their part divert the expression "saturated zone" which, in Chilean law, designates places exposed to air pollution and in particular to high concentrations of particles. fine. Several territories are renamed sacrifice zones because they concentrate polluting activities, in particular coal-fired power stations (termoelectricas). Chile has five sacrifice zones, one of which is Til Til: in the north of the country the zones of Tocopilla / Mejillones in the region of Antofagasta and of Huasco in the region of Atacama; in the center of Chile the area of Puchuncaví-Quintero in the region of Valparaíso and finally in the south that of Coronel in the region of Bío Bío. […]”***
*https://regionalista.cl/dos-personas-detenidas-tras-manifestacion-contra-la-contaminacion-en-la-inauguracion-de-exponor/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.liberation.fr/planete/2019/06/07/chili-le-salar-s-alarme-du-boom-du-lithium_1732511/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
***https://noria-research.com/chili-la-crise-sociale/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
After cycling from Santiago, San Pedro de Atacama was our last destination in Chile before we left the country. Our various hosts had warned us that the place was very touristy but we did not expect such a tide of tourists of all nationalities.
Surprised, we decide to go and see one of the things that everyone runs to see. Getting up at 4 am, a bus takes us in the dark to the Tatio geysers where the sun has risen. According to the explanations it is necessary to arrive early because it is with the freshness that the pressure is the strongest and that the water of the geysers rises the highest. Buses and coaches pour out visitors who rave about the landscape, geysers and fumaroles (vapor that escapes from the earth).
In the background, the mountains have the shape of a reclining grandfather whose face stands out in profile on the horizon, hence the name Tatio explains the guide. San Pedro de Atacama, Atacama Desert. Province of El Loa, Region Antofagasta, Chile - March 2020.
On the internet, we read this about this place:
“El Tatio is a geothermal area located in the Andes Cordillera in Chile, on the altiplano at an altitude of 4,280 m in the Antofagasta region, at the foot of the Tatio and Linzor volcanoes (5,680 m). […]. The place was named "El Tatio", from "Tata iu" in kunza that is to say "the crying grandfather" (el abuelo que llora), in reference to the geysers and the mountain visible on the site where we can distinguish the shape of a reclining man.
With nearly 80 active geysers, El Tatio is the largest geyser site in the southern hemisphere, and third in size after Yellowstone National Park in the United States and Valley of the Geysers in Russia. Despite the large number of geysers, these are not very high. In 2003, the two tallest eruptions identified, the geysers named T25 and T72 by Glennon and Pfaff, reached 5 meters. The average height of the eruptions is 76 centimeters. The site is approximately 7 km wide by 20 km long.
At dawn, the temperature difference makes it possible to observe the formation of steam vents (at night it can freeze down to −20 ° C). […]”*
*https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Tatio (accessed February 18, 2021)
- In the background, flamingos. Continuation of the guided tour in the Altiplano, after the first stop at the Tatio geysers.
The two people we met in San Pedro de Atacama, members of the NGO "Atacamos todos" (which fights against pollution and the overexploitation of water generated by lithium mines in the salar of the Atacama desert) all work two in tourist agencies. The supervised tours are an attempt to protect the sites from the deterioration generated by an overcrowding of tourists. Altiplano. Chile - March 2020.
Here is an excerpt from an article in Liberation which talks about the disappearance of the flamingos in the Salar d'Atacama:
“[…] The inhabitants of the region are also worried about the disappearance of some of the flamingos, which feed on the micro-algae living in the waters of the lagoons of the salt desert and set up their nests there. "Before, when we arrived at the lagoon, it was pink," remembers Fabiola Ramos, who grew up in the region. Now, when we go, there are very few, and sometimes you have to wait before seeing any." Indeed, one of the three species of flamingos that lives in the salar, the Andean flamingo, is today considered "vulnerable". According to Conaf, the public agency that manages Chilean national parks, the number of Andean flamingos fell by more than 30% between 1997 and 2013 in Chile, in part due to mining activity and unregulated tourism. […]”*
*https://www.liberation.fr/planete/2019/06/07/chili-le-salar-s-alarme-du-boom-du-lithium_1732511/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
The two people we met in San Pedro de Atacama, members of the NGO "Atacamos todos" (which fights against pollution and the overexploitation of water generated by lithium mines in the salar of the Atacama desert) all work two in tourist agencies. The supervised tours are an attempt to protect the sites from the deterioration generated by an overcrowding of tourists. Altiplano. Chile - March 2020.
On the NGO's website, we read this about their tourism goals:
“The NGO Atacama Somos Todos was born out of a citizen movement which decided to act to deal with the environmental situation of the Salar Atacama basin through a non-profit legal entity. […]
Generate sustainable tourism:
Implement the relevant improvements within companies and various actors in the field and with tourists, through the incorporation of good practices and behaviors, demonstrating that tourism can be a great ally in the environmental and social struggle. […]”*
*https://atacamasomostodos.cl/quienes-somos/ (accessed February 18, 2021)
Avec la fermeture imminente des frontières nous nous dépêchons de monter dans un bus afin de passer en Bolivie.
Depuis le début nous avions comme projet de documenter le triangle du lithium, cette région à cheval sur le Chili, la Bolivie et l'Argentine. Voici deux photos des salars prises à travers la vitre du bus durant le trajet. Près de la Frontière Chili-Bolivie, Chili - 16 Mars 2020.
Sur internet, nous lisons ceci au sujet des salars, du triangle du lithium ainsi que des projets de fabrication de batteries sur place, dans les pays producteurs :
« […] Si l'on trouve le lithium partout dans la nature, sa forme exploitable n'existe que dans quelques endroits de la planète. Ce qu'on appelle déjà le « triangle du lithium », compris entre le Nord-Ouest Argentin, le Sud-Ouest bolivien et le Salar d'Atacama au Chili, abrite tout simplement 70% des réserves mondiales.
La méthode d'exploitation est la même dans les 3 pays. La saumure des lacs salés d'altitude (salars) est extraite, puis s'évapore pendant 9 mois. Vient ensuite l'étape des traitements, puis de l'exportation sous forme de carbonate de lithium.
Premier producteur mondial avec 40%, le Chili extrait et transforme son lithium dans le désert d'Atacama, dans l'immense salar au sud de San Pedro de Atacama. […]
Si la Bolivie n'est aujourd'hui pas un immense producteur, elle possède la première réserve mondiale avec 40% d'un total estimé à 11 millions de tonnes, notamment au Salar de Uyuni.
Si la croissance actuelle de la consommation de lithium n'est que de 5% par an, la tendance devrait s'accélérer. De 100 000 tonnes aujourd'hui, on estime la demande à 400 000 tonnes à l'horizon 2025. Le métal qui ne coûtait que 2000 dollars la tonne il y a 10 ans, vaut aujourd'hui 5500 dollars la tonne. […] »*
« […] Le Chili veut développer son expertise technologique : les entreprises qui y sont implantées envisagent, à terme, de fabriquer directement des batteries au lithium. La Bolivie s'est déjà engagée dans cette voie en annonçant - avec son partenaire ACI Systems - la construction, d'ici 2023, d'une usine dédiée à la production de batteries. […] »**
*https://www.argentina-excepcion.com/guide-voyage/economie-politique-argentine/lithium-argentine-chili-bolivie (consulté le 18 février 2021)
**https://www.lesechos.fr/industrie-services/industrie-lourde/le-lithium-un-tresor-qui-divise-lamerique-du-sud-1002063 (consulté le 18 février 2021)
With the imminent closure of the borders we hurry to get on a bus to cross into Bolivia.
From the start we had as a project to document the lithium triangle, this region straddling Chile, Bolivia and Argentina. Here are two photos of the mining activity taken on the way. Near the Chile-Bolivia Border, Chile - March 16, 2020.
Chile-Bolivia border post and the first masks!
It was in San Pedro de Atacama, in northern Chile, that the story of covid 19 hit us and turned all our plans upside down.
With the imminent closure of the borders we hurry to get on a bus to cross into Bolivia.
Bolivia seems to protect itself much more from the coronavirus epidemic: all the staff at the border post wear masks. This surprises us in relation to the behavior on the Chilean side and in relation to what we are monitoring what is happening in France. Chile-Bolivia border, Bolivia - March 16, 2020.
(1) Famous Bolivian colonel who gave his name to the Andean Fauna National Reserve in Bolivia, a vast nature protection area of 7,000 km².
Here is what we read on the internet about Eduardo Abaroa and about the Andean reserve:
“[…] Colonel Eduardo Abaroa (October 13, 1838 - March 23, 1879) is one of the rare Bolivian heroes of the Pacific War which pitted Chile against a Bolivian-Peruvian alliance at the end of the 19th century. […]
The province of Eduardo Avaroa is also named in his honor, as is the Andean National Reserve of Andean Fauna Eduardo Avaroa. […]”*
“National Reserve of Andean Fauna "Eduardo Avaroa".
Nestled in the heights of the Andes cordillera in the department of Potosi […]”** “Located south of the Salar de Uyuni and north of the Atacama Desert in Chile, at an elevation of 4,200 and 6,000 meters in places […] this is Bolivia's most famous protected area. It is home to volcanoes, geysers, deserts, colorful lagoons, water sources in a desert and stony landscape, whose paths are dirt. […] ”***
*https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eduardo_Abaroa (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://bolivia-excepcion.com/tout-savoir/parcs-reserves-bolivie/parcs-altiplano-bolivie (accessed February 18, 2021)
***https://www.exoticca.com/fr/amerique/amerique-du-sud/bolivie/reserve-nationale-eduardo-avaroa (accessed February 18, 2021)
- Masked Bolivian in a street in the town of Uyuni. Stores have the curtains drawn because of the curfew put in place to fight the coronavirus epidemic.
It was shortly after replacing our Chilean chip with a Bolivian chip in our cell phone and taking a small telephone package in Uyuni that we learned that Bolivia was preparing to take very restrictive measures in the coming hours (curfew, ban to move between towns and villages, etc.).
We then take the painful decision to interrupt our trip and return to France. After an incredible night we reach La Paz airport in the morning. Uyuni, Bolivia - March 17, 2020.
On the internet we will read later how Latin America reacts to the coronavirus epidemic by decreeing lockdowns:
“[…] After Venezuela - the first Latin American country to decree general containment from March 17 - and Argentina confined since Friday, El Salvador on Saturday, Bolivia entered compulsory quarantine on Sunday, followed from Tuesday by Colombia. "We have to stay at home 24 hours a day" because "this is the way to beat the coronavirus," interim Bolivian president Jeanine Añez said on Saturday, as the country counts 19 cases of coronavirus out of 11 million 'inhabitants, without any deaths.
Another consequence for the Andean country, shaken since the end of October by a serious post-electoral crisis, is the indefinite postponement of the general elections of May 3 which were to allow Bolivians to appoint a successor to the resigning president Evo Morales.
The constitutional referendum scheduled for the end of April in Chile, also agitated by a serious social crisis, has already been postponed to October 25. […]”*
*https://information.tv5monde.com/info/coronavirus-l-amerique-latine-passe-progressivement-au-confinement-352470 (accessed February 18, 2021)
The French Embassy with whom we are getting in touch explains that they are in the process of seeing how to repatriate all French nationals.
However, we find a way to return on our own (again Thank you Odile!).
El Alto Airport, La Paz, Bolivia - March 20, 2020.
Here is what we will read later on the internet about this Bolivian airport and the organization for the repatriation of the French:
“La Paz El Alto International Airport.
The airport in the Bolivian capital La Paz is not the country's main airport. This would be the most modern Viru Viru airport near the commercial center of Bolivia Santa Cruz de la Sierra. As its name El Alto suggests, the airport, like the rest of La Paz, is located at a high altitude: 4061 meters! It is the second highest airport in the world (Qamdo Bangda Airport in Tibet is even higher). […]”*
“[…] Quai d'Orsay […] The cases of nearly 130,000 people are currently being treated, awaiting a return to France, explained the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Drian, on Friday March 20 on France Info. "The basic principle is that for the 130,000 we want them to return to the national territory. We ask for coolness and patience," he said. […] They came to a consulate or embassy for an emergency return, due to the epidemic. This does not necessarily mean that they will all be able to find France, for both logistical and health reasons.
So many special cases, each more pressing than the next, complex family histories, made up of dual nationality and medical emergencies, fear, anxiety, impossible demands. The crisis unit must manage all this, with the reinforcement, since mid-February, of a special task force, devoted entirely to the coronavirus. It is headed by Axel Cruau, former consul general in Shanghai. An online emergency service [...] has been set up to put French people stranded abroad in touch with French residents in these countries who are likely to receive them. […]”**
*https://www.airportdesk.fr/amerique-du-sud/bolivie/la-paz/aeroport-international-la-paz-el-alto (accessed February 18, 2021)
*https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2020/03/19/le-gouvernement-face-al-urgence-du-retour-de-110-000-francais-de-l-etranger_6033731_3210. html (accessed February 18, 2021)
In Charles de Gaulle airport, masked passengers in transit and shops with the curtains drawn. The reason for this astonishing vision is that France too has decreed a containment from March 17 (which will in fact last until May 11) in order to fight against the global epidemic of coronavirus.
From memory, it is after 3 days and nights in planes and airports (LaPaz, Santa Cruz Viru Viru, São Paulo) that we land (with our bikes in the hold) in Paris, very sorry to have had to give up our little adventure and above all to the work of photographic documentation that we could have accomplished in Bolivia and Brazil.
Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris, France - March 21, 2020.
On the internet, we read this about containment and the regulations that go with it in France:
“[…] The general containment of the French population in an attempt to stem the coronavirus epidemic began on Tuesday [March 17, 2020] at 12 noon, a completely unprecedented measure in the history of the country.
For at least two weeks, some 67 million inhabitants are called to stay at home with rare exceptions - food supplies, health reasons - on pain of a fine, as part of the "war" declared on this global epidemic by the president. Emmanuel Macron.
France has put in place the “strictest containment measures in Europe”, said Interior Minister Christophe Castaner, stressing that “collective activities are prohibited”. […]
The main information to remember:
France enters more strict confinement from this Tuesday, March 17 at noon
The government says it is ready to nationalize to "protect businesses" threatened by the crisis.
There are now more cases of infection and death recorded elsewhere in the world than in mainland China […] ”*
* https: //www.lesechos.fr/monde/enjeux-internationaux/en-direct-le-17-mars-2020-coronavirus-le-point-sur-la-situation-en-france-et-dans-le -monde-1185979 (accessed February 18, 2021)
- "Fresh Japanese food"
In Charles de Gaulle airport, masked passengers in transit and shops with the curtains drawn. The reason for this astonishing vision is that a lockdown began on March 17 in order to fight the global coronavirus epidemic.
It will last almost two months, until May 11. This is really not the return we had planned for the month of June after our trip that should have taken us from Santiago de Chile to Sao Paulo in Brazil! Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris, France - March 21, 2020.
Here is what we read on the internet about the impact of the coronavirus in France and the questions politicians are asking about the management of the epidemic:
“[…] While France has been experiencing a stricter containment phase since Tuesday noon, the Covid-19 coronavirus epidemic continues to spread around the planet. According to the latest figures available, there are now 189,680 reported cases of infection in 146 countries and territories since the start of the epidemic. In total, more than 7,800 people have died, including 175 in France.
On French territory, 7,730 cases are also now identified, against 6,633 on Monday, the authorities said. Among them, 2,759 people are hospitalized, including nearly 700 in intensive care. […]
While the former Minister of Health said on Tuesday in a highly commented interview that she had warned Edouard Philippe in January of the impossibility of holding the municipal elections due to the epidemic, the Prime Minister assumed the choice to maintain them. […]”**
*https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_touch_ (music) (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.lesechos.fr/monde/enjeux-internationaux/en-direct-le-17-mars-2020-coronavirus-le-point-sur-la-situation-en-france-et-dans- le-monde-1185979 (accessed February 18, 2021)
- Health safety instructions on the sign "Coronavirus - Faced with this exceptional situation, please respect a distance of one meter between each person in the queue"
A lockdown that will last almost two months (from March 17 to May 11) has just been decided. This really isn't the return we had planned for June!
Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris, France - March 21, 2020.
On the internet we read this about the containment and management of the coronavirus epidemic in France:
“[…] "We must respect these instructions very strictly if we want them to have an effect", the Prime Minister, Edouard Philippe insisted on Tuesday evening, during the television news of France 2. […] "The word of order is clear: stay at home!" Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said Monday March 16th. All those traveling will have to be "able to justify their trip," he added, adding that a fine for violators would soon be raised to 135 euros. […]
The prefect of the Grand Est region, Josiane Chevalier, said Tuesday on France Inter that the resuscitation capacities of the Haut-Rhin hospitals, one of the main outbreaks of Covid-19 in France, were now "saturated" faced with "a number of infected people which continues to grow every day". […]
France will devote 2 billion euros to the health fight against the coronavirus, said the Minister of Action and Public Accounts, Gérald Darmanin, in an interview with Les Echos, where he details the financing of "the effort of France's war" against the Covid-19 epidemic. "We are spending 2 billion euros on sick leave, masks and the remuneration of nursing staff," said Mr. Darmanin, detailing the 45 billion euros plan drawn by the State to deal with the economic consequences of the pandemic. […]”*
“[…] WHO's warning to Europeans
Every country in Europe must take the "bravest" measures possible to try to stop or slow the spread of the new coronavirus, Hans Kluge, European director of the World Health Organization (WHO), said on Tuesday. […] Recalling that Europe was the "epicenter" of the novel coronavirus pandemic. […]”**
*https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2020/03/17/coronavirus-les-capacites-de-reanimation-saturees-dans-le-haut-rhin_6033369_3244.html (accessed February 18, 2021)
**https://www.lesechos.fr/monde/enjeux-internationaux/en-direct-le-17-mars-2020-coronavirus-le-point-sur-la-situation-en-france-et-dans- le-monde-1185979 (accessed February 18, 2021)