As part of the commemoration of World Environment Day in San Pedro de Atacama, a confrontational situation marked the event when activists expressed their dissatisfaction with the SQM team, which had an information stand at the fair located in the town square, and accused the company of aggressions and threats to environmentalists and even to its own workers.

The tension reached its peak when Julio García, lawyer and environmental manager of the mining company, attacked environmentalist Francisco Varela, who was recording on his mobile phone an argument between García and the leader Lady Sandon of the Atacama community of Coyo. The environmentalist was injured.