MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguay pleased to end military custody of disputed pulp mill

Uruguay confirmed Monday it would willingly withdraw military personnel stationed in the perimeter of the Botnia-Orion pulp mill under construction, following a request from the Finnish company.

"Uruguay is pleased to comply with the request from Botnia and willingly will withdraw military personnel", said Uruguayan Defense minister Azucena Berruti. The decree signed a few days ago by President Tabare Vazquez displaying Army personnel was in reply to some so far unfounded threats of extremists' actions against the pulp mill under construction in Fray Bentos and which Argentine pickets are protesting alleging environmental hazard to the area. Fray Bentos is just across from Gualeguaychu, Argentina, only divided by the Uruguay River which acts as a natural border between the neighboring countries that have an accord dating back to 1975 to jointly mange the common resources. However and is spite of impact assessment studies financed by the World Bank, that is partially financing the Botnia-Orion project, Gualeguaychu residents and environmentalists insist the pulp mill will pollute and have been protesting for over a year with pickets blocking access to bridges leading to Uruguay. As the dispute escalates and with growing threats as the pulp mill is scheduled to be in production next October, pickets and protests have become more aggressive including alleged threats to the plant. On this background a few weeks ago Uruguay decided to display few military posts along the ten kilometer perimeter of the construction, a measure which the Argentine government considered "extremely offensive and provocative" and an escalation of the conflict. However Botnia addressed a letter to President Vazquez saying that "given the circumstances it did not consider necessary the presence of military personnel in the grounds of the plant". "President Vazquez was most pleased with Botnia's request", said Minister Berrutti who also admitted that the decision also brought relief to her ministry since "such a display of force means a significant effort for the Uruguayan Army", most of whose combat ready troops are overseas in United Nations peace missions. Meanwhile across the river in Gualeguaychu the blockade begun its fourth uninterrupted week with picketers promising there will be no yielding until "the plant is dismantled or re-located". Further north in Colon, pickets impeded traffic over the weekend to neighboring Paysandu in Uruguay and in Concordia, a neighbors and environmentalists assembly decided to begin similar measures at mid week, which means the Uruguayan town of Salto will also be isolated from Argentina. These decisions are particularly harmful for Uruguay's economy and tourist season when thousands of Argentines flock across the bi-national bridges to Uruguayan beaches.