Residents from the Villa 31 slum are obstructing an exit from the Illia Highway in the Retiro area, as part of a protest to demand the urbanisation of their district.

Since 10am this morning, the demonstrators have allowed only one lane of traffic to pass down the Avenida Castillo, causing a build-up of congestion in the surrounding area.

The residents from Villa 31 are calling for the urbanisation of their shanty towns, in particular that the urbanisation law 3343 be passed. The bill plans to develop the city’s slums which are home to around 50,000 people.

Mirella Churqui, a neighbourhood representative told the press “what we want is the opening of roads, the construction of schools and first aid centres”.

“We just want to be integrated into society and have the basic services like electricity, water and gas”.

In addition to the blocking of the road, dozens of protestors have set up tents outside the City Legislature in downtown Buenos Aires.

This is the second demonstration held by residents of Villa 31, after a similar action occurred on 27^th September.

BOLIVIA - President Evo Morales is meeting this week with indigenous Amazon basin lowland residents from Isiboro Sécure National Park and Indigenous Territory (TIPNIS) to discuss the plans for a controversial highway that would run through their homeland, compromising both themselves and the fragile ecosystem there.

Protestors have set up in a university gymnasium, which is being used as a temporary accommodation for around 1,000 natives who walked over the course of two months from Trinidad to La Paz to protest a highway through their ancestral homeland.

Observers with the Organization of American States and the Union of South American were also present at the meeting. The discussions are aimed at asking the 33,000, predominantly indigenous, residents if they want a highway that would cut through their reserve.

The project made headlines in June when escalating tensions boiled over into a violent six-day riot. This led the Bolivian government to acknowledge they had committed “several errors” in the project and prompted the talks.

Talks will last for a month with results expected in two months, officials said. Morales’ government is eager to carry out the highway project, which is being funded with US$ 332 million by Brazil. It is to link with a network of highways linking the landlocked country to both the Pacific through Chile and the Atlantic through Brazil.

Initial suggestions to divert the highway around the reserve have been deemed too expensive and pressure to call of the project entirely has been progressively escalating since last year.

A major concern about the impact of the road is its potential to accelerate deforestation, which has been significant since waves of colonization began arriving to TIPNIS area in the 1970s. A study of the project by the Program for Strategic Investigation in Bolivia (PIEB) concluded that the road would markedly accelerate deforestation in the park, leaving up to 64% of TIPNIS deforested by 2030.

A technical report submitted by the Bolivian Highway Administration (ABC) established that the direct deforestation caused by the road itself would only be 0.03%. Similarly, President Morales has spoken of a 180-hectare deforestation, an area equivalent to a rectangle 180 km long and 10 m wide.

According to the Associated Press, Amazon natives fear that landless Andean Quechua and Aymara people from the Andes mountains, Bolivia’s main indigenous groups and Morales supporters, would use the road to flood into the area and colonize their land.

As of this Wednesday, 1st February, the national government will eliminate the subsidy that aided passenger tolls in inter-jurisdictional routes.

According to The Organ of Road Concessions Control, the subsidy that has been in effect since March 2004 had reduced the “value of the toll rate” by 100% by allowing the fees to be shouldered by the National Road Corridors concessions.

The regulation, which was published today by the Boletín Oficial, states that “the measure results in a redistribution” and “promotes a fair and equitable application of subsidies provided by the national government.”

The CV1 concessionaires that will be affected are Concesionaria Vial, Corredor de Integración Pampeana, Autovía Buenos Aires a Los Andes, Carreteras Centrales de Argentina, Cincovial, Caminos del Paraná, VialNoa, Corredor Central and Caminos del Río Uruguay. The aforementioned will be required to “formulate and submit tariffs resulting from the implementation of this measure to the Control Agency Road Concessions.”

The statement was signed by the general manager of the National Highway, Nelson Periotti, who said that the previous policies were an attempt to “address the socio-economic situation, [which] was necessary to undertake various measures to subsidise different sectors of the national economy.”

Indigenous groups, who have marched for almost two weeks in defense of the Indian Territory Parque Isiboro Sécure (TIPNIS), announced today that they will continue with their protests.

The groups demonstrate against the negative environmental effects caused by the construction of a new highway. The responsible ministry has so far refused to consider the concerns of the Indigenous groups.

On Saturday a ministerial commission sent by President Evo Morales met with protesters in Puerto San Borja. The commission published a letter expressing the will of the Bolivian president to consider alternatives that have less environmental impacts.

On Sunday Minister Carlos Romero reported that the impact on forests will not exceed 0.03%.
However, Indigenous groups insist on their demand, stating that the highway will heavily affect the biodiversity of the Indian Territory and their ancestral lands.

The protesters stopped the dialogue with the government and announced to continue with the protests until the project will be dropped.

Story Courtesy of Agencia Pulsar.

The Interoceanic Highway has recently connected Rio de Janiero in Brazil to three Pacific Ocean ports in Peru. The 2,600km road, which passes through the centre of the Amazon rainforest and traverses the Andes mountains, has taken almost five years to complete at a cost of US$1.6bn.

Despite the obvious commercial advantages, such as increased integration between the countries, the opening up of new markets and lower transport costs, there are also social and environmental issues. Increased migration, threats to uncontacted indigenous peoples, the potential for increased deforestation, soil erosion and destruction of animal habitat are just a few.

The Argentina Independent hit the streets of Buenos Aires to find out how much people know about the new highway, and their thoughts on the commercial benefits versus the environmental costs.

Photos by Priscilla Pompa

Martin Juarez, 47, clothing company supervisor, Palermo

I think it is progress. Progress, but with consequences. There have been similar projects in Argentina where the environment has been damaged but the project is seen as progress. For example, in Argentina, the dams on the Rio Paraná, and Itaipú in Brazil. They flooded huge areas of forest, but it was seen as worthwhile due to the large amount of clean energy that is produced. And I can see the commercial benefits of this project, but also, it does caused damage to the habitat of many species of animals and I think there is risk of further development in remote areas. It is easy to understand it being built due to the money involved, and so I am receptive to those in charge as to how they will ensure the environment is cared for in the future.

Lucas Garelik, 23, student, Vicente López, Buenos Aires province

They built a road from Rio to the Pacific? That would certainly be good for the economy, both between Brazil and Peru, and it helps the transport of goods to the oceans. But it not good for the environment, as it also increases access to the Amazon for logging, so I think it will increase deforestation in the area.

Mabel Cantena, 60, teacher, Palermo

I think that it is not good for the flora and fauna in the rainforest – they will certainly suffer. I don’t like the politics that surrounds such decisions. Of course, commerce will benefit hugely from the new road, but only in the short term. And politicians only think in the short term. They don’t think of the long term environmental damage being caused, and of our children and our grand children. It will make some people very wealthy for the next few years and then people will realise the environmental damage that has been caused.

Rodrigo Vargas, 35, industrial engineer, on holiday from Santiago de Chile

There are economic benefits but it could also cause development in the area. There could be small towns that form and grow, which could be bad from an environmental point of view. Whether the road is good or not depends. The environment is the main concern, and it is important that any impact of the road is mitigated, and that rules and regulations are put into place that limit the damage. For example, rules that limit the growth of villages and towns along the road. The road is now built, and I think that as long as they take care of the environment now then it will be ok.

Martina Cormick, 17, student, Caballito

I didn’t know about this – are they building it or it is finished? Well, what is done is done. I don’t think that what has happened is good and I think it will cause damage to the environment, but there is no point in arguing about it after it has happened. Now, it is important that we make the most of the road now it is built, and make sure that commerce does increase between Brazil and Peru as planned.

The indigenous town Ngäbé Büglé in the Kodiri region in Panama has been protesting for the last 16 days on the Pan-American Highway against the entry of the Barro Blanco hydroelectric project in the Tabasará river region.

The protest has been carried out in a peaceful way by the indigenous people. However, the leaders have said that the actions will increase given the lack of response from the authorities. The demonstrators demand the work stopping and the removal of machinery from the zone until an agreement is reached.

Furthermore, they are asking for the presence of government minister, Roxana Méndez.

According to the Ngäbé Büglé, the construction workers started without taking into account the opinion of the indigenous communities who live in the region.

They also complained that the communities would be flooded during the creation of a dam.

The demonstrators estimate that around 40 communities will be affected. The Coordinator for the Defence of Natural Resources and Rights for Ngäbe Bugle is demanding enforcement of a law to prohibit mining and hydroelectric activity on indigenous land.

Ricardo Martinelli’s government reached an agreement with indigenous people to create this speacial law following February’s strike which paralysed the country. The people of Ngäbé Büglé opposed Law 8, which tried to reform the Mining Code.

Story courtesy of Agencia Púlsar, the news agency of AMARC-ALC.

A family driven van was stopped and attacked by three armed assailants as they were driving through the western part of the Buenos Aires Province on their way to Lincoln.

After approaching and stopping the van, the gang began taking the family hostage. The band forced the family into the car which they were operating, a white Peugot, and one gained control of the family’s van.

The trio of delinquents’ intentions to rob the family turned into a violent struggle. The assailants took the passengers captive, and amidst the struggle, 13-year old José Luis Quispe was struck by a bullet to the chest after shots were fired. He and his father, Eduardo Quispe were left on the roadside. The victim’s uncle, Roberto Quispe, threw himself from the moving vehicle in order to escape the gang. He, while sustaining minor injuries, managed to alert the police of the attack.

However, Elvis Quispe, the victim’s 11-year old cousin and another man, David Maite remained in the assailants’ vehicle.

The accident ocurred around 6:30 AM along route 28 on the highway as the family from Puerto San Julian were making their way from La Matanza to Lincoln. The Volkswagon van was attacked near the highway on the outskirts of Luján.

Initial reports spoke of a robbery, the mayor of Luján, Graciela Rosso, informed that the occupants of the Volkswagon were carrying a “substantial sum” of money and had been pursued by the delinquents.

José Luis Quispe died upon arrival due to the chest wounds. The police located the stolen and abandoned Volkswagon van in San Isidro.