Arguing a "possible attack", the multinational executives down to 20 minutes of Pascua Lama forum:

Arguing a "possible attack", the multinational executives down to 20 minutes of Pascua Lama forum:
The chair was never empty Barrick
(By Javier Karmy)
translated from original spanish article


Barrick demanded a forum without the press, other than a parking lot, side access to the auditorium, a security officer for the executive to remove any banner or canvas, and present in second place, leaving the other to criticize before they submit the project. Despite all these assurances worthy of a ruler, the largest multinational mining gold withdrew discuss. The empty chair of the forum said it all.

Due to the presence of opponents of the flagship project of the binational Canadian Barrick Gold and the large number of media covering the event, executives of transnational stopped participating in a debate organized by five students in Commercial Engineering from the University Adolfo Ibáñez as an essential part of the course Entrepreneurship Workshop.

It was supposed to be a forum on the Pascua Lama project where Barrick Gold is to explain your project worldwide star and to discuss with them the religious Cristina Hoar, Servant of the Holy Spirit and the director of the Latin American Observatory of Environmental Conflicts (OLCA), Lucio Cuenca. Both were escorted to the communities of the Valle del Huasco in the region of Atacama, during all these years of conflict with the transnational.

However, a phone call drove overland to discuss, talk to Barrick Gold and express what so many people wanted to tell you long ago. Had argued that the transnational information that environmentalists made a "terrorist attack" against the executive of the multinational.

While demanding a free press forum, other than a parking lot, side access to the auditorium, a security officer for the executive, as well as remove any banner or canvas, and present in second place, leaving the other before they criticize submit the project. Despite all these assurances worthy of a ruling that students were willing to grant, the largest multinational mining gold withdrew debate, warning 20 minutes before the scheduled time. The empty chair of the forum said it all.

They fear the truth
Sister Cristina Hoar regretted the situation because "they are" faceless "and said" what Barrick is afraid? Of truth. "
As for Lucio Cuenca "This attitude is usually part of Barrick, as on other occasions they have been invited to discuss but they are not put in places where they do not have full control of the situation." This was the time trial Barrick under the II Social Forum in Chile in November 2006 when Barrick's lawyer apologized to go abroad. In fact, Cuenca reminded that the only time he has discussed with the executive of Barrick was last year at school Manquehue in the context of discussions of the school. "But that was not advertised nor was public," he said.

Elias Musalem, one of the organizers, said obfuscated the term, that the debate was "half" as it "had everything ready and 20 minutes before the forum, Barrick called us saying that he ran because, they said, had information that there would be an attack against them. "
While initially Barrick opened the door leading to the camp by plane Pascua Lama project in the Cordillera of the Third Region of Atacama where they take pictures of the area concerned, today we called and explained the wrinkle-and-college andalusia final exits are worse because of the university students are left with a pure vision and not that of Barrick. "

Musalem explained that "hurts us because we will surely fail the practice of this workshop, but we will seek explanations for Barrick, and that the climb to its corporate website as it is a disrespect, because I doubt the alleged attack, because Chile has not killed people in debates of this kind, "he concluded.

Undoubtedly, much more important than if the teacher decides to approve or not the class to students the importance of this area is that once again has become evident that the darker side of Barrick Gold, which is unable to sit or to discuss, or sit in front of a canvas. So we rescued the voice of the professor who moderated the discussion to mean "Unfortunately, the silence."