Last update:
2017-04-29

Angostura dam, Chile

A contested dam that is leaving without accessible electricity the local Mapuche communities since its opening



Description:

The company Colbún (in partnership with ENEL/Endesa) promoted the construction of the Angostura dam in the late '90s in an atmosphere of transversal dissatisfaction among Mapuche Pehuenche communities in the Biobío region. Productive potential, tourism, and environment protection conciliated through collaboration with affected communities lying at the premises in the argumentation by the project promoters. Something that seems not to be translated into reality nowadays. The local Mapuche Pehuenche and neighbouring communities complained [1] [2] [5] that the dam (with an installed potential of 316MW) would inundate a sacred land of high ecological value and asked for its inclusion in the list of World Human Heritage. The Biobio region has long suffered destructive interventions, that include the other three hydroelectric projects Palmucho (32 MW), Ralco (690 MW), Pangue (467 MW).  The social movements that at once organized in objection to the reservoir ended up being criminalized, delegitimize, and annihilated through police intervention, while communities were been resettled without proper consultation [1]. 

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Basic Data
Name of conflict:Angostura dam, Chile
Country:Chile
State or province:Biobío
Location of conflict:Santa Barbara y Quilaco
Accuracy of locationHIGH (Local level)
Source of Conflict
Type of conflict. 1st level:Water Management
Type of conflict. 2nd level:Water access rights and entitlements
Establishment of reserves/national parks
Dams and water distribution conflicts
Specific commodities:Electricity
Water
Land
Tourism services
Project Details and Actors
Project details

"The project is situated approximately 600 km south of Santiago, in the municipality of Santa Barbara y Quilaco in the region of the Bío-Bío River 63 km south-east of the city of Los Angeles; downstream of the confluence of the Bío-Bío River with the Huequecura River, in the gully known as Angoustura del Piulo where the main intake starts.

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Project area:650
Level of Investment for the conflictive project700,000,000
Type of populationSemi-urban
Company names or state enterprises:ENEL Group (Enel) from Italy
Colbun from Chile
Salini Impregilo from Italy
Endesa Chile from Chile
Naturgy (Naturgy) from Spain
Relevant government actors:Chilean Minister of Energy
Environmental justice organizations (and other supporters) and their websites, if available:Ecosistemas, http://www.ecosistemas.cl/
Movimiento Aguas Libres sin represas, http://nomasrepresas.blogspot.com.es/
Conflict & Mobilization
IntensityMEDIUM (street protests, visible mobilization)
Reaction stageIn REACTION to the implementation (during construction or operation)
Groups mobilizing:Indigenous groups or traditional communities
Local ejos
Neighbours/citizens/communities
Social movements
Local scientists/professionals
Fisher people
Forms of mobilization:Blockades
Development of a network/collective action
Development of alternative proposals
Media based activism/alternative media
Public campaigns
Street protest/marches
Arguments for the rights of mother nature
Impacts
Environmental ImpactsVisible: Biodiversity loss (wildlife, agro-diversity), Global warming, Loss of landscape/aesthetic degradation, Deforestation and loss of vegetation cover, Surface water pollution / Decreasing water (physico-chemical, biological) quality, Reduced ecological / hydrological connectivity
Potential: Floods (river, coastal, mudflow)
Health ImpactsPotential: Mental problems including stress, depression and suicide
Socio-economical ImpactsVisible: Displacement, Loss of traditional knowledge/practices/cultures, Militarization and increased police presence, Land dispossession, Loss of landscape/sense of place
Potential: Loss of livelihood, Social problems (alcoholism, prostitution, etc..)
Outcome
Project StatusIn operation
Conflict outcome / response:Criminalization of activists
Institutional changes
Migration/displacement
New legislation
Technical solutions to improve resource supply/quality/distribution
Violent targeting of activists
Proposal and development of alternatives:The local NGO Ecosistemas suggested that the creation of ecotourism based activities would have been a good compromise between income generation, environmental value preservation and local culture conservancy [1]
Do you consider this an environmental justice success? Was environmental justice served?:No
Briefly explain:Local communities were not involved in the process and were left without affordable electricity for the years following the inauguration of the dam.
After a persistent organised mobilisation of social movements, the Chilean government introduced a new law with the aim of equalising the prices between major and minor urban centres two years after the project completion [4].
Sources & Materials
Juridical relevant texts related to the conflict (laws, legislations, EIAs, etc)

Ley Nº 19.300, sobre Bases Generales del Medio Ambiente
[click to view]

[1] Ecosistemas, 2014. Central Hidroeléctrica Angostura: La influencia del poder económico por sobre el Estado. Accessed: 25/04/2017
[click to view]

[2] Osses, S. 2014. Vecinos de Quilaco, Alto Bío Bío y Santa Bárbara protestan contra centrales hidroeléctricas. Biobiochile.cl. Accessed: 25/04/2017
[click to view]

[3] 24Horas.cl, 2014. Reportajes 24: la luz más cara de Chile. Accessed: 25/04/2017
[click to view]

[4] Diarioconcepcion.cl, 2016. Alto Biobío verá reducida su tarifa eléctrica por 46%. Accessed: 25/04/2017
[click to view]

[5] No al proyecto angostura. Accessed: 25/04/2017
[click to view]

[6] Angostura del Biobio
[click to view]

[7] Salini Impregilo website. Angostura hydroelectric project. Accessed: 25/04/2017
[click to view]

Ecosistemas, 08/07/2014 - Angostura: El inicio de la primera gran hidroeléctrica en la última década
[click to view]

Related media links to videos, campaigns, social network

TVN reportaje Hidroelectrica Angostura 07 01 17 HD
[click to view]

Freddy Peréz, 2014. Central Hidroeléctrica Angostura, la influencia del poder económico por sobre el Estado. Youtube
[click to view]

Meta information
Contributor:AB - ICTA
Last update29/04/2017
Conflict ID:2796
Comments
Legal notice / Aviso legal
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