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Environmentalists march in Chile against government 'setbacks'
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Environment & Climate

Environmentalists march in Chile against government 'setbacks'

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Environmental activists in Chile marched against what they call environmental setbacks under the current government.
  • Protesters criticized the government for not reinstating environmental decrees and for plans that could harm marine life and coastal areas.
  • The demonstrations also highlighted concerns about economic reforms and animal welfare, including a ban on greyhound racing.

Hundreds of people across Chile took to the streets on Saturday to protest what they perceive as environmental rollbacks by the government of José Antonio Kast. Organized by the National Ecologist Assembly, the 'National March Against Environmental Setbacks and for Animals' saw activists in Santiago and other cities voice their concerns.

Not one step back in the environmental setbacks implemented especially by this government.

— Roxana NuñezA Greenpeace lawyer commenting on the government's environmental policies.

Activists specifically pointed to the government's failure to reinstate 43 environmental decrees initially withdrawn at the start of Kast's term. These decrees, established between 2023 and 2026 under the previous administration, are crucial for environmental protection. "Not one step back in the environmental setbacks implemented especially by this government," stated Roxana Nuñez, a lawyer for Greenpeace. She also criticized aspects of Kast's economic and tax reform, which she argued included problematic environmental permitting processes.

The protest also addressed plans to hunt sea lions to benefit industrial salmon farming and trawling operations. Carola Fredes, a participant defending a pristine coastal area in Valparaíso threatened by real estate development, expressed her commitment to conservation. Demonstrators carried effigies of protected animals like penguins and held signs advocating for a ban on greyhound racing, a measure recently approved by the Chilean Congress.

I come because I care about planet Earth and because I am part of the Punta Fraile movement that defends a pristine area on the coast, which would be very important to conserve and is threatened by real estate developers like all of Algarrobo.

— Carola FredesA participant explaining her motivation for joining the protest.

Students and environmental defenders also used the march to honor fallen environmental activists and Mapuche leaders. Valentina, a biology student, emphasized the importance of speaking for voiceless animals and nature, highlighting the collective effort to protect the planet and its inhabitants.

We are standing up for the animals that cannot raise their voice.

— ValentinaA student of biological sciences at the Catholic University of Chile, explaining the purpose of the demonstration.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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