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Chilean Court rejects indigenous claims on geothermal projects

Chilean Court rejects indigenous claims on geothermal projects View over Santiago, Chile (source: flickr/ patrickcoe, creative commons)
Alexander Richter 23 Nov 2012

The Court of Appeals in Santiago, Chile issued a ruling and rejected indigenous claims on halting a number of geothermal exploration concessions granted by the Ministry of Energy in 2010.

Last week, the Court of Appeals in Santiago, Chile issued a ruling in three cases brought by indigenous communities and organizations to halt a number of geothermal exploration concessions that were granted without prior consultation.

The court ruled – in each instance – in favour of the Ministry of Energy.

At stake in the court case, were eight geothermal concessions that – allegedly are located within indeigenous territories of the Atacameno in northern Chile and Mapuche, southern Chile. All of these concessions were part of the same public bidding process of 2010.

It is expected though that all three cases will be appealed and go to the Supreme Court.

Source: Indigenous News