Yanacocha mine Peru (photo: Wikipedia)

The demonstrators, from ’Tierra y Libertad’ movement, left from Celendin’s principal square and walked to the El Perol lake, where Minera Yanacocha, the company that owns the Conga project, plans to build a reservoir. Protesters say the proposed mine will pollute local water supplies.

“They are coming from different places, on foot, on horseback… basically, by any mean of transport,” said Nicanor Alvarado, one of the demonstration’s leaders.

According to ‘Tierra y Libertad’, there are “many policemen” on the way to El Perol but they have not yet attempted to stop the demonstration. Around 1,000 policemen have been deployed to protect the machinery used to build the controversial reservoir.

Last week, the Peruvian authorities announced that the first of two reservoirs required by the government before work can start on the mining project had been completed. The Conga project was delayed until 2014, after an international review in April 2012 recommended measures to reduce the environmental impact it will have.

After hearing the report, Peru’s president Ollanta Humala announced a series of conditions to keep the project on track, including the establishment of a social development fund, the creation of 10,000 jobs as well as quadrupling the water supplies in the area via new reservoirs.

On 10th June, Energy and Mine minister Jorge Merino announced that the Conga’s mining project will continue. ”We have to welcome investors for our social programmes, to fight poverty… the Conga investment is done and is good for our country,” he assured.

The Conga project, which represents a US$4.8bn investment, has been rejected by a large section of Cajamarca’s population, amid fears that the mine would contaminate their water supplies. Manuel Ramos, the president of the Frente de Defensa de El Tambo, told ‘La Republica’ newspaper that “counting on more than 2,000 people, we are going to try to avoid the disappearance of the Llaucano river.”

Elsewhere in Peru, a recent study proved that in Espinar, Cusco, the environment has been damaged by mining activities, with more than 25% of the places examined found to be contaminated. The specialists discovered metal in water and sediment from the Camacmayo, Tintaya and Collpamayo water sources.

The mayor of Espinar province, Oscar Mollohuanca Cruz, reacted saying that “Espinar was right when saying that there was a problem with the mining activity: animals die and people are unhappy.”

Gran Lago de Nicaragua (Photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

The Nicaraguan Congress yesterday approved the construction of a canal that will link the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. A 50-year concession to build a rival to the famous Panama Canal was granted to a Hong Kong-based company ‘HK Nicaragua Canal Development Investment Co. Limited’ (HKND Group), which is run by Wang Jing, a Chinese telecommunications tycoon. “The canal could be finished within ten years,” stated Jing.

It is estimated that the waterway project, the largest in the history of Nicaragua and one of the largest in Latin America, will cost US$40 billion. In yesterday’s vote, 61 deputies were in favor of the project, 25 against, and there was one abstention.

The project has generated a heated debate in Nicaragua, as some do not trust Jing’s firm, which was established only a few months ago. The project’s opponents also raise concern that “behind all of this stands the Chinese government.”

Analysts believe the waterway could benefit China in the same way the Panama Canal did for the United States in early 20th century – at a time of aggressive commercial and political expansion, when the USA has emerged as a global superpower. Recently, Chinese president Xin Jinping paid a visit to the region, but did not visit Nicaragua. He travelled to Costa Rica, the only Central American country with which China maintains direct diplomatic ties.

The exact layout of the canal is still not defined, but it was confirmed that it will go through the Gran Lago de Nicaragua (or Cocibolca), the most important source of fresh water in the country, prompting criticism from environmental groups.

Even though the Nicaraguan government will get only a minority share of the profits generated by the canal, President Daniel Ortega insists the project will bring prosperity to the nation.

“One of Nicaragua’s great riches is its geographic position, that’s why this idea has always been around,” Sandinista government congressman Jacinto Suárez added.

If completed, the Nicaraguan canal would be three times the size of the existing one in Panama.

The recent suspension of the Pascua Lama mining project -in the border between Chile and Argentina- by Chilean authorities, has once again shone the spotlight on the environmental risks these activities pose, and on whether they can be carried out safely and to the benefit of the wider community.

Keeping in mind the mining industries’ integral roles in national economies across the region and the long-term environmental costs produced by such resource extraction projects, we asked Argentines what they thought about the subject in general.

We found that most people we talked to agreed that as the industries stand, their activities not only threaten the environment, but have social costs as well. Many felt that though mining is undoubtedly a key factor in Latin American economies, there is an urgent need for management reform and for regulatory controls to be placed on the industries that more often than not exploit the earth and the local communities that host them.

Santiago Fuertes, 32, Businessman, Mar de Ajo

Well about the issue of mining in Latin America, basically I think it’s expansive exploitation and that it has no concrete benefits for the environment nor for the places where the projects are founded. I think that in general the mining industries take advantage a little bit of the situations that they find in countries where they set up projects. It seems that the industries find that they are allowed, and even enabled, to cause this type of exploitation and that the countries sometimes don’t realise -or don’t care about what is actually happening. So they abuse this type of situation. And the projects always appear in small towns, in places where the people are subjected to bad economic consequences -these projects hurt society as well as the environment. But obviously the mining industry overall has greater economic benefits for these countries -mining is in absolutely everything that we use. It’s not that I’m completely 100% against mining, but rather I feel that that the mining industries should be better controlled regarding those things that they abuse. The worst thing is that in the midst of these consequences the governments don’t control the industries like they should. 

Paula Castro, 22, Environmental Studies Student, Mar del Plata

For me, [the mining industry] is important on the most fundamental level in that it generates work– it is crucial for all the employment opportunities that it opens up for people. But the main issue is that the industries are not controlled on an environmental level. To me, there are a lot of measures and means that are lacking to control the industry and to help cut back on the ways that it contaminates. Although I think that mining is really important for the economy and the jobs that it creates, they should really implement more controls for the environment and precautionary measures for the people -in particular for the health of the people in mining areas.

Jorge Hector Hojo, 80, Economist, Palermo

I’m an economist, and from what I’ve seen, I don’t think that the issue is really something to talk about at all. At least in Argentina, we don’t know anything about mining because it’s not a lucrative business here. We only have a couple of mines in the north of the country as most of our economy is based on agriculture and livestock. But what I know is that as regards the mining industry in Latin America, it is important to understand why mining does not work -and that the industry has a lot of costs. For example, people don’t want to lose an opportunity to work, and then they end up somewhere like the mines. Where people are working a lot in the mining industry you notice that they are paid really bad salaries and they always talk about how poorly managed the mines are. I don’t know if now they are modifying anything a little bit regarding the situation, but in Argentina and other countries things like that are sometimes hard to come by. And, of course, anything that is related to what is below the surface of the earth is a difficult issue.

María Clara Lambirte, 25, Geology Student, Montserrat

I don’t feel like I can really speak for Latin America as a whole because that issue is very broad. But in my country, I do know something about the issue because I study geology, and through that I’ve visited several mines. Mining is a contaminating industry like all other industries. I am suspicious of all the bad press that mining gets because it seems strange to me that they talk so badly about the mining industry and not, for example, about the petroleum industry or the pharmaceutical industry -or all other industries for that matter! I think that mining is an important part of the economy like whatever other industry in every country, and for this reason it has to be part of respective politics, just like all the rest. Basically that: yes, the industries need to be responsible with what they are doing and they need to be regulated -regulated by the government of every state in which they operate in order to minimise all of the negative effects they bring about.

Marcos Bizzi, 53, Electrician, San Fernando de la Vista, Buenos Aires

As concerns the mining industry in Latin America, I think in the way that they are doing things now, their projects contaminate the earth a lot, and that’s really not a good thing. It would be wonderful if these industries would just continue to do what they do by extracting these sorts of natural resources from the land in a way that wouldn’t contaminate the earth or harm the people. Put simply, that’s all they really need to do.

The Pascua-Lama project, if completed, is set to become the world’s largest gold and silver mine. Straddling the border of Chile and Argentina, the project has been plagued with problems since its inception over seven years ago; the time frame for the project has been pushed back year after year, while costs for the miner, the world’s largest gold producer, Barrick Gold, only continue to grow. And the latest spanner in the works came in April this year, when the Chilean government halted construction on the mine due to the environmental damages it is causing; as a consequence, Barrick was fined US$16m the following month.

Pascua-Lama, between Chile and Argentina (Photo: Desinformemos.org)

The controversy over the Pascua-Lama mine derives from the suspected damages it is causing on the glaciers, land, and rivers in the mountainous area of the Andes, in the southern reaches of the Atacama Desert. More specifically, the mine’s suspension was ordered because it was polluting the local rivers that support local indigenous communities. After the case was presented in the court, Chile’s environmental regulator ordered Canadian-owned Barrick to implement a water management system for the mine in accordance with the required permits before beginning construction once again.

Adding further pressure to Barrick’s efforts is the discontent from its share owners, who this week filed a class action lawsuit regarding their investment into the Pascua-Lama project. The purchasers of Barrick’s common stock have issued complaints claiming that the company has “made false and misleading statements and concealed material information relating to the cost of and time-to-production projections”. Barrick’s shares are dropping by the day; at the close of the Toronto stock exchange this week they had fallen by 1.7%.

Regardless, as Barrick’s problems, and costs, continue to pile up, the company is steaming ahead to finish a project that it can now not afford to lose.

Environmental Mismanagement

If construction on the mine goes ahead without meeting the required regulations, the effects on the Andean glaciers would be disastrous. And the indigenous communities currently filing the complaint against Barrick are in fact arguing that its work has already had lasting damaging effects.

Protests against Pascua-Lama, 2010 (Photo: antitezo)

An appeal filed in April by attorney Lorenzo Soto on behalf of five indigenous communities representing the Diaguita people of Huasco Valley, reported that the mine’s construction has covered three glaciers -the Toro 1, Toro 2, and Esperanza- with dust. This, the report said, will lead to melting and further environmental dangers for the glacier-fed Estrencho River and its water supply – one that local indigenous groups are reliant upon. In addition, the authorities have reported an “unjustified discharge coming from the acid treatment plant to the Estecho river”.

As it stands, Barrick has been ordered to implement transitory measures to capture, transport, and discharge water to a sediment tank at the north of the mine before ice begins to melt in or around November. Chile’s environmental regulator, Juan Carlos Monckeberg has said that Barrick can begin building the long-term water drainage systems immediately, and will not need additional permits for its infrastructure, while Barrick released a statement in May confiming that it “is fully committed” to complying with the regulations.

The environmental damages, potential and actual, are mounting up, and whether this is down to poor management on Barrick’s side, or neglect from the government to protect its country and residents, is unclear. Under its agreed environmental licence, Barrick was required to build the infrastructure to manage and treat the waste water before launching its pre-stripping operations. Although it is now known that the company had only partially implemented the system before beginning its pre-stripping, according to Monckeberg.

“We found that the [environmental procedure] acts [that Barrick] described weren’t correct, truthful, or provable. And there were other failures of Pascua-Lama’s environmental licence as well,” Monckeberg  told Chile’s AP News Agency.

Chilean President Sebastian Piñera has also voiced his concerns about Barrick’s approach, while taking the opportunity to undermine former president Michelle Bachelet, who approved the environmental plans at the time, and who is again running for office next year.

“The environmental permit of 2006 was badly done… you look at it and wonder: how didn’t they anticipate all these problems? They’re going to have to meet all requirements and in the meantime works won’t be able to go forth,” President Piñera said.

However, he also added that he hoped Barrick’s Pascua-Lama gold mine “would proceed as long as the company complied with the requirements”.

Another problem looming over Barrick’s endeavours is the enforcement of a glacier protection law on the other side of the border, in Argentina, which was passed in 2010 in response to the Pascua-Lama project. At the time, Barrick found a loop-hole and the company, along with some pro-mining groups, obtained injunctions to block the law on the grounds of it preventing economic development in the province. However, in July last year, the Argentine Supreme Court voted to reverse the injunctions, and is currently making a decision on the constitutionality of the glacier protection law – an act that could potentially stop any further development on Pascua-Lama. Its members have said they could be ready to rule on the bill in September.

Unaddressed Issues

Despite the obstacles put to the completion of the mine, many environmental and indigenous organisations are still unhappy about the way the Chilean authorities – known as SMA – have dealt with drafting the new set of regulations, and believe that many other factors, aside from the water damage, need to be addressed. The director of Greenpeace, Chile Matias Asún said that President Piñera has “endorsed a weak sanction [which is] comfortable for the company, and ignores the enormous and diverse environmental handbook that needs to be followed”.

He believes that Barrick has been given a favourable ruling, which gives them the minimum amount of time to quickly clean up its efforts before beginning its operations again. Regardless of the new imposed regulations, Asún added that once the mine begins operating it will still be permanently damaging the glaciers and the ecosystems in the area, as well as the communities that live there.

Barrick gold mining (Photo: El Cuidadano)

“The superintendent had plenty of tools and background to permanently remove environmental permits and thus send a clear signal of respect for the law and the environment. The signal was weak and insufficient.”

Greenpeace also confirmed that Barrick has only paid 75% of the US$16m fine, which the organisation said was “laughable” for a company that posted US$847m in net profit in the first quarter of 2013. Barrick has estimated it must invest about US$29m to meet environmental standards at the mine.

Barrick has hinted that there is a possibility that it would have to suspend the Pascua-Lama project if the time frame for resolving regulatory problems remains unclear, although it seems like a very unlikely scenario considering it will be one of the company’s key assets once completed. Even though the development costs have risen from US$3bn to more than US$8bn since the start of operations, the show will go on for Barrick’s Pascua-Lama. This lucrative investment is expected to produce 800,000 to 850,000 ounces of gold and 35 million ounces of silver a year in its first five years.

Barrick, which has reportedly already invested US$5bn in the mine, has said it will “work as fast as it can to satisfy the Chilean authorities and regulations”. As it currently stands, the delays will see the project commencing again in the second half of 2014. And whether more environmental issues and obstacles come to light from now until then, it is a sure bet that Barrick will continue to ride the storm until it can cash in on its most prized asset.

Do Argentines think mining is regulated enough in the continent, and that the economic benefits outweigh the environmental costs? Click here to find out.

There is work to be done if Buenos Aires is to raise its environmental profile, but a new fair that launched on Sunday, just a stone’s throw away from San Telmo fair, is on its way to help the Argentine capital do just that.

Taking place every Sunday just off Plaza de Mayo, the Feria de Consumo Responsable promotes sustainability and consumer consciousness. Supported by APrA, the city government’s Environmental Protection Agency, it is organised by Ambientate, a non-profit organisation striving to raise environmental awareness in Buenos Aires. Since 2009 Ambientate has been informing the public about pressing issues through a series of networking events designed to connect “green” professionals and promote the benefits of thoughtful energy consumption, recycling, and sustainable living.

Feria de Consumo Responsable (photo by Ben Salman-Lord)

The mid-section of Av. Julio A. Roca was lined with more than 70 stalls, each manned by an environmentally conscious entrepreneur selling goods made from naturally sourced, recycled, or salvaged materials. The stretch was pedestrianised with an area for talks and workshops, some interactive educational areas, and stage from which live music was played. Demonstrations were set up including pushbike generators, one linked up to a monitor displaying power output, another rigged to a blender making fruit smoothies, while the band, Babel Orkesta, entertained the crowds.

Vivero Organico Sonyando, a company specialising in organic plants, were selling a range of herbs and small fruit trees. They also hold workshops and courses in organic gardening methods and offer a range of services from garden maintenance to design. “We are constantly helping develop cooperative spaces into eco-friendly, organic, sustainable areas,” said Sonia Pérez, Sonyando’s director.

Like Sonyando, Kokedamas are also devoted to harmonising city life and nature with their “non-pot plants”, which do not require plastic containers, eliminating any potential waste. “We see ourselves as a social trend that seeks to correct lifestyles immersed in a large city, surrounded by concrete and smog, towards sustainable and fresh forms,” said gardener Pedro Minotetti, who runs the company with graphic designer Marianela Màrquez.

Stalls displayed bottles morphed into lampshades and wind chimes, clothing made using organic cotton, and bags made from old car tyres and boat sails. Other stands included pottery and artisan crafts, recycled paper, as well as innovations such as solar cookers.

Live music at the Feria de Consumo Responsable. Photo courtesy of APrA

Despite the weather, which was overcast and cool, a steady number of people filtered through. “The fundamental concept of the fair revolves around responsible consumption and sustainability. We brought these businesses together to show the city what they are doing and to raise awareness about the impact of consumerism on the environment,” said Julieta Morosoli from Ambientate. “Each of the businesses here are totally aware of the environmental and social impact their products have, many of which have no carbon footprint at all.”

Babel Orkesta breathed some life into what was essentially a craft market, first playing on stage before moving amongst the audience and initiating a brilliant communal, melodic hum. Two or three skips, each full of rubbish, were perhaps a little clumsily placed in full view of the event, however, it is the first of what is to be a weekly fixture on Buenos Aires’ calendar and promises to improve as time goes on, spreading the environmental message and hopefully changing the way people live in the city.

Feria de Consumo Responsable, every Sunday from 10am to 6pm on Diagonal Sur (Av. Julio A. Roca) between Av. Belgrano and Alsina in the centre of Buenos Aires. For mas information, visit their facebook page. 

Military police confronts protestors at Belo Monte Dam. (Photo: International Rivers)

A protest by more than 200 indigenous people to stop the construction of a hydroelectric dam in the Brazilian Amazon has ended after the government refused to meet protesters demands.

Indigenous leaders from the Amazon rainforest expressed their “disgust with federal leaders” and vowed to keep fighting after claiming the Belo Monte power plant will damage the environment and rivers within their territory.

The 11,233-MW plant is to be built on the Xingu River in Brazil’s northern Pará state. Local indigenous groups, including the Munduruku, Juruna, and Kaypo, have demanded the immediate suspension of all works stating that environmental studies show potential damage to valuable rivers including the Tapajos and Teles Pires.

The dam, due to be the world’s third largest, will divert 80% of the Xingu River’s flow, affecting a large area of rainforest.

Protesters sent a document to the government demanding that they be advised on any developments that take place, given the potentially damaging effects of the plant. However, Brazil’s General Secretary, Gilberto Carvalho, says the government will not bow to their demands.

President of the Pusuru Association, Cândido Munduruku, said that the indigenous people “will continue to struggle against the installation regardless of the government’s plans.”

Original article courtesy of Agencia Pulsar.

Later today the United Nations will inaugurate International Earth Day with a debate headed by UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon, ministers from Ecuador and Bolivia, and North American academics. The event aims to explore and foment ideas about the relationships that exist between humanity and planet earth.

UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon
(Photo: Simone D. McCourtie / World Bank)

International Earth Day was conceived of in 2009 by the UN General Assembly as part of a resolution that aimed to promote harmony with nature and to “arrive at a balanced equilibrium between the economic, social, and environmental requirements of present and future generations”.

With a strong Latin American presence, the main speakers in the debate are María Belén Moncayo, minister for Coordination of Ecuadorian Heritage, Luis Acre, Bolivia’s minister for Economy and Public Finance, and Fander Falconí, Ecuador’s secretary for Planning and Development.

In addition, Ban Ki-moon has called the world’s attention to the potential devastating effects of climate change, the unsustainable exploitation of natural resources, and other key man made problems and has pledged to renew the UN’s promise to “honour and respect Mother Earth.” He averred that, “when we threaten our planet, we are not only endangering the only home that we have, but also our future survival.”

Despite the debate over the perceived versus actual risks and impacts of climate change, Earth Day 2013 is to focus the spotlight on the tangible effects of climate change thus far, including its effects on people, animals, and the natural landscape in the hopes of opening new exit routes and strategies with which to combat the phenomenon.

Ecuador is set to play a key role. In a speech titled ‘Nature as a constitutional rights holder in Ecuador and its ability to exercise [its rights] in the context of shared responsibility’, Falconí will address the assembly on natures’ rights, which are enshrined in the country’s constitution, and will present three of the country’s most recently debated environmental initiatives.

Children having a bowl of soup. Ecuador.
(Photo: Jamie Martin / World Bank)

One of these includes the creation of an eco tax, called Daly-Correa, whilst project Yasuní ITT aims to preserve Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest by fighting to keep millions of petrol reserves underground – and unexploited – in exchange for global economic support for Ecuador’s development. Leaving the oil where it is would reduce net emissions by an estimated 410 million tones of carbon dioxide.

Ecuador’s current administration under Rafeal Correa holds that: “the current world method of development, based on unlimited accumulation and consumption, is leading the planet towards an unprecedented environmental crisis.”

Its capital city, Quito, has proposed the indigenous model of development, “Sumak Kawsay” Quechua for “good living” (in harmony with our communities, ourselves, and most importantly our environment) as an alternative. It insists that all countries ought to commit themselves to an ethical way of living, and that they take concrete steps towards eradicating poverty and those mechanisms which destroy the environment.

Peruvian Amazon Rivers (Photo: Marta P on Flickr)

Peruvian officials have declared a state of environmental emergency in the Amazon, accusing an Argentine oil company of polluting rivers and lagoons for years.

Pluspetrol, the largest oil producer in Peru, has been operating for over a decade in the oil fields near the Pastaza River and surrounding basin, which is now suffering from severe pollution.

Two Peruvian congressmen and a team of specialists from the Environmental Ministry recorded the effects of oil spills, leading the government to demand that the oil company clean more than 100 contaminated sites, which they failed to do.

Environment Minister Manuel Pulgar-Vidal told local press, “This is terrible behavior, the company failed to clean up the mess they illegally caused.”

Congresswoman Marisol Pérez Tello revealed that the Peruvian state initially granted Pluspetrol with a license to “contaminate every kilo of land with 30 grams of oil.” Environmental organisations and many government officials have criticised the authorities for entering such liberal negotiations with the company.

Indigenous families are in danger of being contaminated as they use the rivers as a source of food. “The terrible thing is that they are still feeding on fish that are swimming in the oil and waste,” said a government official.

IdeaMe is an online platform, which helps creators, be they inventors, artists, or designers, among others, to finance their projects through crowd funding. The Indy features and promotes one project every week, with the aim of helping the creators finance and achieve their dreams. This week: Alpargatas Biodegradables.

One of the alpargatas on sale. (Photo courtesy of Alpargatas Biodegradables)

Isaac Gutierrez, 31, is the creator of the campaign Alpargatas Biodegradables, which aims to make our planet greener through the use of 100% biodegradable shoes. The project also hopes to boost Mexican labour by producing an everyday item which is both stylish and useful.

Over the years Isaac noticed that in his native Mexico, common everyday goods such as clothes and shoes generate huge amounts of waste. As he mused as to how to lessen the amount of pollution and reduce its impact on the environment, he hit upon an idea: fashionable footwear made entirely from natural materials that can then be recycled.

Inspired, he enlisted the help of a friend and designer-shoemaker in Leon to help him develop the idea further. After searching for the right material, they decided on the little known henequen, which Isaac believes has great-untapped potential, especially in the Mexican market. Thus the sole of the shoe is made from this versatile material extracted from agave fibres. The body of the shoe in turn is made from 100% natural cotton, as is the lace, and the design is printed using eco friendly water based inks.

The secret to their ingenuity (and eco-friendliness) lies inside the tongue. Once you have worn out the shoe, you can plant it. Yes, plant it. Tucked away inside the tongue are Chia seeds, which once watered, will grow into a plant. Thus the shoe generates no waste and contributes to the “greenification” of our planet.

Alpargatas Biodegradables is an “All or Nothing” project, meaning that if they are unsuccessful in their venture they will have to return any proceeds received back to their investors.

This worthwhile project needs your help in order to buy more materials required to produce another 1000 pairs of alpargatas. To make this project a reality please visit the Alpargatas Biodegradables ideame page.

The proposed project by the Government of Buenos Aires. (Photo courtesy of Guillo Dietrich’s Facebook page)

The controversial felling of trees at Av. 9 de Julio, initiated to make room for Metrobus passage, has been halted. Judge Guillermo Scheibler ordered the government of Mauricio Macri to stop the displacement of trees in this area after an appeal of complaint was made by former legislator Facundo Di Filippo.

The planned works would transport 277 specimens: 108 to Parque Thays, Borda gardens, and Plaza Constitution and 169 to other locations within the same strip.

“The only thing missing is Macri transplanting the Obelisk so the bus can pass through,” legislator Juan Cabandié said.

Protests were held on Monday at the intersection of Av. 9 de Julio and Hipólito Yrigoyen to protest the negative side effects the project would have on the environment and urban landscape of the historically significant area.

“This is an important step, a reaffirmation that we are in the right, we cannot permit this work to be continued. It is a disaster from every point of view: felling trees, destroying the environment, spending fortunes, doing it in a transport that is going to circulate above a subte line,” protestor Liliana Marchni told Pagina 12.

There were also concerns about the legality of the project, environmental concerns notwithstanding.

“Mauricio Macri has violated the law that requires him to present each new Metrobus project to the legislature,” Filippo said.

A second appeal was filed on Wednesday to address the “symbolic destruction, lanscape, urban, architectural and archeological” concerns, according to legislator María José Lubertino.