Small-scale fisher people against contaminating industries in Valparaiso, Chile
Description:
The communities in Quintero and Puchuncavi have been resisting the industrial pollution in their area already for some decades by naming Quintero as one of Chile's four "Sacrifice Zones" [12, 18]. A range of industries have been operating in this region without an effective public monitoring since 1964, dumping different types of toxic chemicals in unknown quantities. "The term is used by socio-ecological movements in Chile to characterize geographical areas where industry and waste production are so heavy that the whole area and the people living there are considered sacrificed on the altar of economic growth" [18] In order to establish a stronger and coordinated network to act against such an immense contamination, local people and communities have founded a "cabildo abierto" (open council) to confront environmental crisis [19]. Recently, after the first registration of intoxication on 21 August 2018, the cases of contamination caused by the activities in the industrial zone intensified causing illnesses to several people including a high number of children. The state-owned company ENPA is one of the main responsible actors of the recent toxic contamination together with other companies like Gasmar and Oxiquim [20, 21]. Research on the contamination in the Puchuncavi zone [14] already had that “at the end of the 1980s, pioneering studies indicated that the toxic agents in the Puchuncavi air posed risks for the quality of life" and emphasized the lack of mitigation. This led to the declaration of Puchuncavi as a Saturated Zone for particulate matter (PM) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) in 1993, a condition that continues to exist today [18, 14]. The Chilean Medical Union Association recently requested the government to declare a health emergency in the area [15, 18]. Currently, there are more than a thousand people intoxicated, including two police experts who were examining the area. However, up to today, the acute intoxication continues [18]. In the following days in September and October, schools closed and social actions and protests increased in the region. However, the protesters faced an unusual amount of force with water cannons, rubber bullets and tear gas from the special forces and navy [12, 18]. Small-scale fisher people of the region, who are losing their resources due to contamination, have been an important part of these protests. Already in 2016, they had declared the polluting activities of ENPA and asked for mitigation claiming that in two years the company destroyed the entire flora and fauna damaging irreversibly the sea and the artisanal fisheries [6, 7]. Soon after the march against contamination and chemical intoxication, one of the leaders of the syndicate (Union of Fisher People) Alejandro Castro has been found dead on 4th October 2018 [1, 9, 18]. Even though the Chilean Government first claimed that it was a suicide, there are lots of evidences that he was receiving threats and his comrades and family claim that is must be an assassination. The police confirmed that he was receiving death threats [9] and the Congressman Latorre called for the revision of the cameras on the location where Alejandro was found dead [10, 18]. Alejandro’s case comes in the wake of the Macarena Valdes case, who was found dead in 2016, and the Mapuche leader Nicolasa Quitreman, found dead in 2013. All cases were first labelled as suicides. However, a police investigation later recognized that Macarena did not commit suicide [11, 18]. The Escazú Agreement, which has been initiated to protect environmental activists [16,18], seeks to improve environmental governance through access to information, participation and environmental justice. This agreement was initially proposed by Chile, among other countries, and is now sponsored by the United Nations, through ECLAC, in line with the 10th principle of the Rio Declaration. Unfortunately, Piñera’s administration recently dropped out of the Escazú agreement. However, Alejandro’s assassination is another grim reminder of the urgent need to protect environmental defenders [18]. |
Basic Data
| Name of conflict: | Small-scale fisher people against contaminating industries in Valparaiso, Chile |
| Country: | Chile |
| State or province: | Valparaiso |
| Location of conflict: | Quintero y Puchuncavi |
| Accuracy of location | MEDIUM (Regional level) |
Source of Conflict
| Type of conflict. 1st level: | Biomass and Land Conflicts (Forests, Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock Management) |
| Type of conflict. 2nd level: | Mineral processing Chemical industries Ports and airport projects Oil and gas refining Aquaculture and fisheries |
| Specific commodities: | Coal Crude oil Fish Chemical products Industrial waste |
Project Details and Actors
| Project details | "As of today, there are at least 12 high-impact industries operating [13] in the Puchuncavi zone in an area of 8.5 square km, including oil refining, chemical processing, thermoelectric industry and a copper processing plant. According to the Chilean legislation, an area can be called saturated due to the pollutant’s concentration. But environmental legislation does not prohibit installation of new facilities and a cleaning plan can take up to 9 years" before it really takes place" [18]. Empresa Nacional del Petróleo (ENAP) is one of the main responsible actors of the recent toxic contamination as well as Gasmar, Oxiquim and Nexxo have been found responsible after that the experts monitoring the plants have been intoxicated [20]. |
| Project area: | 8,500 |
| Type of population | Semi-urban |
| Start of the conflict: | 01/05/2016 |
| Company names or state enterprises: | Empresa Nacional del Petróleo (ENAP) from Chile Gasmar from Chile Oxiquim from Chile Nexxo |
| Relevant government actors: | El Ministro del medioambiente; El ministro de Bienes Nacionales |
| Environmental justice organizations (and other supporters) and their websites, if available: | Greenpeace Chile, Amnistia Internacional, El sindicato de pescadores artesanales S24, Salvemos Quintero: https://www.facebook.com/pg/salvemosquintero/posts/, Acción EcoSocial Quintero: https://www.facebook.com/pg/Acción-EcoSocial-Quintero-1674420109350990/posts/ Industrial Chile Contramed, Cabildo Abierto de Quintero [19]; El Movimiento por la Infancia de Quintero [12], Mujeres en Zona de Sacrificio [12], Hombres Verdes [12], Ciudadana Despierta Quintero Puchuncaví [12] |
Conflict & Mobilization
| Intensity | HIGH (widespread, mass mobilization, violence, arrests, etc...) |
| Reaction stage | Mobilization for reparations once impacts have been felt |
| Groups mobilizing: | Farmers Indigenous groups or traditional communities Industrial workers International ejos Local ejos Neighbours/citizens/communities Trade unions Women Local scientists/professionals Fisher people |
| Forms of mobilization: | Artistic and creative actions (eg guerilla theatre, murals) Blockades Creation of alternative reports/knowledge Development of a network/collective action Development of alternative proposals Involvement of national and international NGOs Lawsuits, court cases, judicial activism Media based activism/alternative media Objections to the EIA Official complaint letters and petitions Public campaigns Street protest/marches |
Impacts
| Environmental Impacts | Visible: Biodiversity loss (wildlife, agro-diversity), Soil contamination, Oil spills, Surface water pollution / Decreasing water (physico-chemical, biological) quality Potential: Food insecurity (crop damage), Groundwater pollution or depletion |
| Health Impacts | Visible: Accidents, Exposure to unknown or uncertain complex risks (radiation, etc…), Occupational disease and accidents, Deaths, Other Health impacts |
| Other Health impacts | Assassination of environmental activists, intoxication of children due to chemical waste |
| Socio-economical Impacts | Visible: Loss of livelihood, Violations of human rights Potential: Loss of traditional knowledge/practices/cultures |
Outcome
| Project Status | In operation |
| Conflict outcome / response: | Criminalization of activists Deaths, Assassinations, Murders Strengthening of participation Violent targeting of activists |
| Development of alternatives: | The communities, fisher people and the entire network protesting the contamination in Quintero propose stopping the toxic activities of the industries in the "Sacrifice Zone" and cleaning up the area. |
| Do you consider this an environmental justice success? Was environmental justice served?: | No |
| Briefly explain: | The contamination caused by the toxic industries led to the criminalization of activists and even to the assassination of Alejandro Castro. |
Sources & Materials
| References to published books, academic articles, movies or published documentaries |
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| Links to general newspaper articles, blogs or other websites |
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| Related media links to videos, campaigns, social network |
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Meta information
| Contributor: | Irmak Ertör, ENVJUSTICE Project, UAB-ICTA |
| Last update | 18/08/2019 |
Images |
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Murales de Quintero - 1
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Murales de Quintero - 3
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Murales de Quintero - 2
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Protestas contra contaminación industrial en Quintero
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Zona de Sacrificio en Quintero con barcas de pescadores al lado
Zona de Sacrificio en Quintero con barcas de pescadores al lado
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Alejandro Castro en una protesta anterior
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Quintero protesta el asesinato de Alejandro Castro
Quintero protesta el asesinato de Alejandro Castro
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Protestas contra contaminación industrial
Protestas contra contaminación industrial con carteles "El estado nos mata!"
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El funeral de Alejandro Castro - La lucha no se acaba
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