Aerial view of CoDELCO Andina (L) and Anglo American open mines of Los Bronces (front) with Olivares glaciers in the background (top) in the Los Andes mountain range, Chile, November 17, 2014. REUTERS / Ivan Alvarado
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SANTIAGO, May 13 (Reuters) – The country’s constitutional assembly with the largest honey production on Saturday rejected a major change in extraction rights, including expanding state ownership in Chile.
The controversial Article 27, which would give the state exclusive rights to extract lithium, rare metals and hydrocarbons and a majority stake in copper mines, has met fierce resistance from the mining sector and was rejected last week. Read more
The environmental commission presented a number of versions of the article on Saturday’s vote, but they all failed to reach the overwhelming majority of 103 votes needed to pass the draft constitution.
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Article 25, which states that miners must devote “resources to repair damage” to the environment and the harmful effects of extraction, has received an overwhelming majority and will be in the draft constitution.
The Assembly also approved a ban on extraction in glaciers, protected areas and those essential for the protection of the water system. Members guaranteeing farmers and indigenous peoples the right to traditional seeds, the right to safe and affordable energy and the protection of the oceans and atmosphere were also approved.
The vote on the approval of articles ends after the vote on Saturday, and new committees responsible for fine-tuning the text will take over on Monday. The final draft is due in early July, and citizens will vote in favor or reject it on September 4th.
The Ecological Commission, dominated by self-proclaimed eco-compilers, saw only one of 40 of its proposals approved in their first vote in the general assembly.
The Commission has since moderated its proposals, but its members, including expanding protected lands, restricting private water rights and making the fight against climate change a state obligation, have been included in the new draft text.
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Report by Alexander Vilegas and Natalia Ramos; Edited by Cynthia Ostermann
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