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Argentines protest against a Uruguayan pulp mill

Sunday, November 11th 2007 - 20:00 UTC
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An estimated 20,000 Argentines marched to Argentina's river border with Uruguay on Saturday, some arriving by boat, to protest the opening of a paper plant in the neighboring Uruguay on fear its operations will endanger the environment and contaminate agricultural lands in their country.

The protest was launched two days after Uruguay President Tabare Vazquez gave the $1.2 billion Finnish-built plant approval to start operating. The plant, the largest enterprise in Uruguay, will convert eucalyptus trees into pulp to manufacture paper. The decision of Vazquez to allow the plant to operate is expected to further deteriorate relationship with its Argentine neighbor. Environmentalists and the Argentine government oppose the plant, constructed on the border river, saying it would contaminate soybean, citrus and other crops. Uruguay has said the plant is using the latest technology and won't pollute, but protestors disagree with that assertion. "No to the paper plant!" the banners scream during the march. Thousands of cars honked their horns en route to the bridge, to dramatize their protest. Argentine police kept guard and prevented them from entering the two-lane crossing to Uruguay. On the river, thousands of protesters on board protests boats fired flares and shouted slogans over megaphones. Argentines have been protesting the operation of the plant for over two years. Argentina has appealed their case before the International Court of Justice in the Hague in an effort to stop the plant's operations.

Categories: Politics, Argentina.

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