In what has been hailed as a victory for the indigenous tribes of Chile, the government in that country has halted the construction of a gold mine owned by a Canadian company.
If constructed, it would have been one of the world's largest mining operations, which would no doubt cause extensive impact on the environment.
The complaint that led to the decision was filed in 2009 against Canadian company Barrick Gold, which is the largest gold mining operation in the world. The mining operation, called Pascua Lama, would have significantly contaminated a nearby river called Estrecho. The native Indians there, the Diaguita indigenous tribes, based in northern Chile, would have been the most affected by the decision.
However the decision is only a stay, which is put in place to allow the government to do environmental impact studies to resolve the issue.
Source: France 24/4.10.13
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