Probe International
March 5, 2009

Behind Chile’s controversial plans to further dam the rivers of its ecologically delicate Patagonia region, which may soon be partially funded by the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), the Chilean government must first settle a growing debate over who actually controls Patagonia’s rivers. A number of companies were granted legal rights to Patagonia’s rivers during the final years of the infamous Pinochet regime, and the current plan is to build five large dams in the region. Now, the people of Patagonia want control of their rivers back.

The water rights debate first arose when local residents began to rally behind a 90-page letter sent to several Chilean government officials arguing that the environmental, social and economic costs of the proposed dams far outweigh their supposed benefits. Patagonians want the final say over what happens to their rivers so they can say ‘no’ to more dams. Should Senator Alejandro Navarro win next year’s presidential election, they just might get it.

Read Benjamin Witte’s original story in the February 26th edition of The Patagonia Times