Argentines protest Canadian mining project
- 12 years ago
It's a festival atmosphere but the message is serious.
The residents of La Rioja in northern Argentina are rallying against Canada's Osisko Mining project.
Local media says half the town's 7,000 residents turned out to protest against the gold project in the Famatina mountain range.
Out in the Famatina hills environmentalist Karina Diaz Moreno says the previous contractor Barrick Gold, which abandoned its controversial mines in the region, contaminated local water sources.
(SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) KARINA DIAZ MORENO, ENVIRONMENTALIST, SAYING:
"The Famatina mountain range is where Barrick wanted at one time, as Osisko wants now, to blow away our mountains under the open sky."
Residents line the road to support a caravan of activists on their way to the demonstration.
Six months ago, Osisko signed a mining contract with the provincial state government.
Protesters want the governor to void the deal.
Lily Grimes, Reuters
The residents of La Rioja in northern Argentina are rallying against Canada's Osisko Mining project.
Local media says half the town's 7,000 residents turned out to protest against the gold project in the Famatina mountain range.
Out in the Famatina hills environmentalist Karina Diaz Moreno says the previous contractor Barrick Gold, which abandoned its controversial mines in the region, contaminated local water sources.
(SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) KARINA DIAZ MORENO, ENVIRONMENTALIST, SAYING:
"The Famatina mountain range is where Barrick wanted at one time, as Osisko wants now, to blow away our mountains under the open sky."
Residents line the road to support a caravan of activists on their way to the demonstration.
Six months ago, Osisko signed a mining contract with the provincial state government.
Protesters want the governor to void the deal.
Lily Grimes, Reuters