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((El Clarín photo))

[Translation of an article from El Clarín for Feburary 24. See original here and related article here. Aysén, in southern Chile, is one of the 15 administrative subdivisions, or regions, into which Chile is divided. Each region is headed by an intendant appointed by the president. Regions are further divided into provinces, of which there are 54, which are headed by governors, also appointed by the president. Puerto Aysén, the site of recent demonstrations, is a city in the region of Aysén. The sparsely inhabited region is physically isolated from the rest of the country, making the cost of living high and resulting in neglect by the national government and poorly developed infrastructure. Plans to build hydroelectric plants and transmission lines in the pristine region have in recent times met determined opposition from environmentalists and residents of the area.]

New confrontations were seen Wednesday evening at the  Ibáñez bridge in [Puerto] Aysén, where demonstrators are demanding better living conditions in the region. The confrontations are in addition to barricades set up by people in several other towns in favor of the demands of the citizen movement. (more…)

[Translations of two articles from El Mostrador of Santiago, Chile, for June 2. See originals here and here and related article here.]

Piñera’s approval rating falls to historical low

According to the Adimark poll for the month of May, President Sebastián Piñera and his administration are receiving the lowest level of citizen support since the right returned to power. And this in a period marked by citizen movements in opposition to the HidroAysén mega-project, student marches and the state of the union address of May 21.

According to the poll, 36 percent approve of the president’s performance, that is, five points less than in the Adimark poll for April. Disapproval, meanwhile, stands at 56 percent, seven points higher than in the previous poll. (more…)

State of the union address sparks protests

[Translation of an article from La Jornada of Mexico City for May 22. See original here and related articles here and here.  For a petition against the HidroAysén project, go here.]

By Enrique Gutiérrez

Valparaíso, May 21 – In the midst of massive protests and acts of government repression, rightist Chilean President Sebastián Piñera today delivered to the Congress his second report on the government, in which he defended his policies and warned that he will not give up plans for the HidorAysén hydroelectric plants that have stirred indignation in the population.

It is estimated that some 100,000 Chileans in 35 cities demonstrated, 50,000 in Santiago, in marches called by groups of university students and professors, the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores, government employees, environmentalist groups and hundreds of indigenous Mapuche who are demanding the release of Mapuche prisoners. (more…)

[Translation of an article from El Mostrador of Santiago for May 10. See original here. The Aysén region, in Chilean Patagonia, is the least populated and most inaccessible in the country and its most pristine. Plans to construct hydroelectric plants there and long transmission lines to supply power to more populous regions have been met with strong protests by area residents, environmentalists and others.]

Social and environmental movements and opposition parliamentary groups announced on Tuesday plans for marches and legal actions, in both domestic and international courts, to halt the construction of five dams in Patagonia.

Opponents of the project have also denounced police represson aginst demonstrations held yesterday after the approval of an environmental impact study on HidroAysén, as well as alleged conflicts of interest on the part of officials involved in the project. (more…)