Arguing a "possible attack", the multinational executives down to 20-minute forum on Pascua Lama:
The empty chair Barrick never held
(By Javier Karmy)
Barrick demanded a forum without a press, a separate parking, side access the audience, a security officer for the executive, remove any banner or canvas, and present in second place, leaving the opposing criticism before the submission of the project. Despite all these safeguards worthy of a ruler, the most important multinational gold mining withdrew debate. The empty chair of the forum said it all.
Due to the massive presence of opponents of the landmark bilateral project of the Canadian Barrick Gold and the large number of media covering the event, executives of the transnational declined to participate in a debate organized by five students in Commercial Engineering Adolfo Ibáñez University as essential part of the course Entrepreneurship Workshop.
was supposed to be a forum on the Pascua Lama project where Barrick Gold would be to explain your project worldwide star and to discuss with them the religious Cristina Hoar, Servant of the Holy Spirit and the director of Latin American Centre for Conflict Environmental (OLCA), Lucio Cuenca. Both have been accompanying the Huasco Valley communities in the region of Atacama, after all these years of conflict with the crime.
However, a phone call shattered the opportunity to debate, discuss and Barrick Gold express what so many people wanted to say a long time. The transnational argued that they had information that the environmentalists would have a very "attack" against the executive of the multinational. Although
demanded a forum without a press, a separate parking, side access to the auditorium, a security officer for the executive, as well as remove any banner or canvas, and present in second place, leaving the other party prior to criticize submission of the project. Despite all these safeguards worthy of a ruling that students were willing to grant them, the most important multinational gold mining debate withdrew, warning 20 minutes before the scheduled time. The empty chair of the forum said it all. They are afraid
of truth
Cristina Hoar Sr. lamented the situation because "they appear faceless" and said "what Barrick afraid? Of truth. "
As for Lucio Cuenca "this attitude is part of Barrick common, as on previous occasions been invited to debate, but they do not occur in places where they have full control of the situation." Such was the occasion in the Trial of Barrick under the Chile Social Forum II in November 2006 when Barrick's attorney excused himself to go abroad. In fact, Cuenca recalled that the only time he has discussed with the executive of Barrick was the last year in the Manquehue school within a school talks. "But that was not advertised nor was public," he said.
Elias Musalem, one of the organizers, said obfuscated the term, the debate was "half" because "we had everything ready and 20 minutes before the forum, Barrick called us saying that he ran because, they had information that would be an attack against them. " While
Barrick initially opened the door to the camp flown Pascua Lama project in the mountains of the Third Region of Atacama where they could take pictures of the affected area, now "call us and wrinkle "Said the university, and eventually leaves them worse because college students are left with a pure vision and not that of Barrick." Musalem
explained that "it hurts us because we will surely fail the practice of this workshop, but we will seek explanations from Barrick, and the rise to its corporate website as it is a disrespect, because I doubt the alleged attack, because Chile has not killed people in debates of this kind, "he said.
certainly much more important than if the teacher decides to approve the trade to students the importance of this space is that once again has been exposed the darker side of Barrick Gold, which does not Able to sit or discuss, or sit in front of a canvas. So we rescued the voice of the professor who moderated the debate to mean "Unfortunately, silence gives consent."
