"Concepción Court ruled in favor of hydroelectric company before protection appeals presented by municipalities of Quilaco and Santa Bárbara"-March 27, 2022-

After seven months of processing, the appeals filed by the municipalities against the Central Rucalhue project were rejected. However, several actions continue with the aim of slowing the progress of the hydroelectric plant, among them, a complaint for alleged circumvention of the Environmental Impact Assessment System.

In August 2021, the Court of Appeals of Concepción accepted the protection appeals that the municipal authorities of Quilaco and Santa Bárbara submitted against the Central Rucalhue hydroelectric project, after several attempts by the communities so that the respective administrations could address the situation.

Seven months lasted the processing of the protection measure, which was finally resolved this week in the Fifth Chamber of the Court, where both appeals that pointed to various violations of rights by the initiative led by Rucalhue Energía SpA, a company controlled by China International Water & Electric Corporation and this, in turn, being a subsidiary of the transnational China Three Gorges Corporation, were rejected.

Through a statement, the company indicated its tranquility before "what was resolved by the I Court of Appeals of Concepción, since it comes to confirm what we have always expressed in front of the community." The statement points to compliance with regulations, the nature of renewable energy and respect for communities as part of its support. However, different organizations have denounced violations led by the company...