- note that puts at risk the livelihoods of local communities.
- Court of Free Competition Defense said Thursday prescribed the action brought by local residents and regional organizations in 2009, without going to the merits. Requirement
- sought "to ensure legally the water supply for residents in the area, but this ruling overturns that possibility, "they said.
" Baker in the basin can not get a glass of water without the consent of HidroAysén ." This was the reaction of lawyer Marcelo Castillo to learn about the decision issued yesterday by the Court of Defense of Free Competition (Competition Tribunal) that said prescribed action brought by several regional organizations to prevent HidroAysén was awarded new water rights on the river Baker.
Professional, representing the Private Development Corporation of Aysen, the Corporation Costa Carrera Guide School in Patagonia, the Association of Defenders of the Spirit of Patagonia Patagonian Conservation Valle Chacabuco, as well as residents of the watershed of Baker, submitted on August 10, 2009 before the Competition Tribunal that a requirement HidroAysén accused of creating " barriers to entry to competitors and monopoly" on the watershed of Baker and the Pascua. This, apply in these rivers water rights on the additional flows that form in such water courses during winter.
To Castle gravity of the decision adopted by the agency that is based on " the freshwater reserve in the world, after Antarctica, it is thus in the hands of a foreign consortium, not communities inhabit this land and who depend on it .
said that in deciding on how the court " all it does is promote the interests of Endesa and HidroAysén monopoly at the expense of communities and people affected , and future generations of ayseninos, particularly in the watershed of Baker, who can not access the water without the consent of this company . " addition, he said, " in our opinion not the prescription is for administrative applications to be pending before the DGA ", alluding to these requests for water rights have not been approved by that body, being essential for the realization the project since they are the ones used to prepare the environmental impact study HidroAysén.
As Patricio Segura, president of the Private Development Corporation of Aysen, described the ruling as "a scandal ", since "going live hundreds prejudice families who have lived decades in the Baker, who now see how the water that has flowed from their fields always belongs to a multinational company. This statement consolidate absolute control in the basin HidroAysén. "
HidroAysén oppositions
HidroAysén On several occasions he has opposed the residents and local businesses constitute Aysén water rights, arguing that such requests would affect rights already established in the Baker and Pascua rivers (between January and March 1990, the DGA awarded 
Endesa total cubic 3 000 155 meters per second in both rivers) and new ones are asking so much for dams that would inject energy to the SIC to materialize any hydroelectric projects in line with its bid of " cheaper energy."
One of those affected by this lock to enter the water resource is the trading company whose Mañihuales about 8 applications in the rivers and the Maitenes Viviano, in the town of Chile Chico, HidroAysén submitted its opposition in July 2010 as these mostly requests only between 100 and 150 liters per second.
A similar situation Rosique St. Nicholas lived Aurelio, who requested water rights in the "no name Estero" in the district of Cochrane streaming from 11 to 25 liters per second. On July 30, 2009 HidroAysén also filed an opposition to hand him the water resource.
A third example is the " comments" in September 2009 that the company had made to the DGA preventing the possibility of incompatibility of water rights sought by Rosa Bahamonde Barria per 49 liters per second in the River Mud Hens, in the province of Aysen, with which you are applying the power in the same basin.
" And these are just some of the cases in which this company has blocked our people access to water, local entrepreneurs and residents who lived here long before Endesa executives and even dreamed of coming Colbún to do their business at the expense of the region. TDLC, your sentence, you are validating this unfair situation and threaten the survival of our communities, when the presentation is only legally sought to ensure water supply for the inhabitants of the area, but This ruling overturns that possibility "said Patricio Segura.
Download full ruling here:
More information:
Marcelo Castillo
9 3467858
Patricio Segura
9 9699780
