El Ciudadano
Original article: Desde la Patagonia elevan demanda al próximo Gobierno: “No toleraremos ningún retroceso en derechos sociales y ambientales”
Environmental Sector and Patagonian Communities Demand Respect for the Law and Protection of Environmental and Indigenous Rights from Incoming Government
Following José Antonio Kast’s election as the next President of the Republic, environmental leaders and coastal communities have issued a stark warning. They assert that his victory poses a severe threat to Chile’s environmental advancements, declaring firmly that they will «not tolerate any regression in acquired environmental rights,» according to a statement released by the «United Environmental Sector» through Defendamos Patagonia.
The statement highlights crucial milestones that they view as collective heritage and that they now perceive as jeopardized. Among these are the ratification of the Escazú Agreement (2022), the establishment of the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Service (SBAP) in 2023, the decarbonization process involving the closure of coal-fired power plants, as well as laws such as the Urban Wetlands Protection Law and the Extended Producer Responsibility Law (REP). «These advancements protect our megadrought, sacrifice zones, and unique biodiversity. They are not concessions; they are rights won through mobilization,» the text asserts.
Criticism is directed at specific proposals from the president-elect’s platform and his statements. The environmental sector expresses concern over his intentions to «expedite permits within 180 days, eliminate ‘environmental guides’ which he deems ideological, and prioritize investment over regulation.» Civil society organizations referenced in the statement warn that this could lead to the «dismantling of the Environmental Impact Assessment System (SEIA), increased predatory extractivism, and a lack of concrete climate goals.»
In a targeted appeal, communities from Patagonia have directly pressed Kast, demanding that as the future leader, he enforce the law «without exceptions.» They remind him, through the campaign: Protected Areas Free from Fish Farms, that salmon farming is «explicitly prohibited in National Parks» under the General Fisheries and Aquaculture Law, the Environmental Framework Law, and court rulings. They denounce the existence of 29 salmon concessions within these protected areas: 19 in Alberto de Agostini National Park, 8 in Isla Magdalena National Park, and 2 in Laguna San Rafael National Park. «We demand the immediate and definitive removal of all salmon concessions from National Parks!» they insist.
The tension extends to indigenous and coastal policy. The Coastal Marine Spaces platform has published an analysis revealing Kast’s «very critical» stance on the enactment of the Lafkenche Law (Law No. 20,249), which establishes Coastal Marine Spaces for Indigenous Peoples (ECMPO). Although he voted in favor of the law as a congressman in 2005, he now questions its implementation, arguing that it «opens the door to abuses» and negatively impacts industries like salmon farming. Kast has proposed vetoing pending applications and reforming the regulations, a stance that, according to the analysis, «contrasts with official reports indicating a lack of formal complaints regarding misuse of the law.»
In light of this scenario, organizations and communities call for widespread public awareness. «Chile, wake up! We urge the country to remain vigilant against rhetoric that disguises deregulation as progress,» they proclaim. They conclude with a message of resistance and vigilance: «Be present at the polls and in the streets. Be aware that the sustainable future is at stake. Let’s defend Escazú, the SBAP, and decarbonization. Let’s not allow a return to a polluting and unequal model.»
La entrada Patagonian Communities Demand New Government Respect for Social and Environmental Rights Amid Concerns Over Potential Regression se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.
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