Environmental Deterioration and Territorial Assault: Organizations Warn of Systemic Dangers Under Kast Government

Original article: “Debilitamiento ambiental, persecución a defensores y asalto a territorios”: organizaciones advierten peligros sistémicos bajo gobierno de Kast

Environmentalists Claim Kast’s Anti-Environmental Push Threatens Democracy and the Nation

“This is a process that will happen on the margins of the law and based on established facts,” warns Juan Carlos Cárdenas from Ecoceanos. “Governments that fail to balance economic development and environmental protection are irresponsible,” emphasizes Elsa Cabrera from Cetacea Chile, adding: “Without environmental protection, wellbeing is unattainable today and for future generations.”

Ecoceanos Highlights Anti-Environmental Assault and Salmon Industry Expansion

Juan Carlos Cárdenas, director of Ecoceanos, denounced an “anti-environmental assault” spearheaded by José Antonio Kast’s government in collaboration with multinational corporations, targeting the “assault on territories” and overexploitation of common goods, which also results in the displacement of local communities.

“This is a process that will occur within the margins of the law and on established facts,” he stated, alerting to the “devastating” effects on economic and social activities in various regions of the country.

The main focus of criticism is the expansion of the salmon industry. According to Cárdenas, the sector aims to double its salmon and trout production by 2040, particularly emphasizing the southern regions. This strategy seeks to establish Chilean Patagonia — and Tierra del Fuego in Argentina — as a major global hub for salmonid production and export.

Cárdenas also criticized what he perceives as a “weakening of environmental institutions” along with policies that would facilitate investment through the relaxation of regulations, a trend that began during President Gabriel Boric’s administration.

In this context, he noted that in the first days of the current administration, there were authorizations to increase production in nearly 200 farming centers, along with the unlocking of processes for relocating approximately 408 facilities in the Aysén and Magallanes regions that had previously been under evaluation or halted.

The director of Ecoceanos called for civil society to organize, along with coastal communities and consumer organizations, to confront this far-right onslaught; he warned that its impacts would not only harm the environment but also threaten the country’s democratic system.

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Setback in Environmental Policy: Weakening Rights and National Risks Highlighted

Elsa Cabrera, the director of Cetacea Chile, issued a stern warning regarding the current environmental landscape.

Amid a global triple crisis —climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution— she accused the new administration of undermining historic advances in environmental rights, with potential repercussions even at the international level.

“Governments that fail to balance economic development and environmental protection are irresponsible,” she stated.

Additionally, she expressed concern over potential pressures or persecution against environmentalists demanding transparency in project evaluations.

In light of this scenario, Elsa Cabrera called for unity among citizens and organizations to defend the environmental rights achieved through social movements.

“Without environmental protection, no wellbeing is possible today or for future generations.”

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