AMERICA/ARGENTINA - Bishop of Oberá calls for a referendum on the construction of two hydroelectric dams

Misiones (Agenzia Fides) - The Diocese of Oberá sent an official petition to the local government and the House of Representatives of the Province of Misiones, demanding a referendum on two hydroelectric projects that could damage the coastal populations of the south-east of the province. The Bishop of the diocese, His Exc. Mgr. Damián Santiago Bitar, in the note sent to Fides Agency recalled that the provincial law IV-N.56 imposes a mandatory, binding and irrevocable consultation, upon the completion of hydropower projects and dams.
"We, as a Church, are the voice of the families of our diocese, who are very worried.
The government of Misiones and Corrientes, together with the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, are planning the construction of two hydroelectric dams on the River Uruguay, in the jurisdiction of Corrientes, in the village of Garabi and in the city of panama (Misiones). (CE) (Agenzia Fides 04/12/2013)