MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguay calls on Argentina to stop bridge blocking

Activists have been blocking the bridge over a year

The Uruguayan government called on Argentina yesterday to “stop” demonstrators who have been blocking the General Artigas international bridge that connects the two countries.

The environmentalists assembly in Colón, on the Argentine side, formed a picket-line on the bridge that leads to Paysandú, Uruguay, stopping all road traffic, to protest the installation of a pulp mill by the Finnish company Botnia. It follows a similar measure implemented by activists in Gualeguaychú, Argentina, who have been blocking the bridge to Fray Bentos for over a year. The General Artigas bridge in Colón is the main road access to Uruguay, which is used by many tourists as well as forcommercial transport, especially after the Gualeguaychú-Fray Bentos access was blocked. Now that both bridges have been closed, the only access to Uruguay is via Concordia-Salto. Uruguayan Foreign Minister Reinaldo Gargano informed that his ministry issued a communiqué to express Uruguayan discontent and urges the Argentine government to thwart the blockade, which "does not contribute to improving the situation." The blockade aims at stopping the access of tourists to and from Uruguay, especially during the holidays, according to Uruguay, who repeatedly reported that the roadblocks have affected the local tourist industry and its economy, highly dependent on the regional market. Gargano stressed that "the Argentine authorities ought to take measures to stop the blockade from taking place." He went on to say that the blockade would "mean disobeying a recommendation issued by the World Court in The Hague to avoid any measures that could worsen the conflict." Activists who have gathered in permanent assemblies in Gualeguaychú and Colón are demanding the relocation of the pulp mill in Fray Bentos that became operational last November. The pulp mill is alleged to be a pollutant, according to activists, who have also reported strong smells coming out of the factory in recent months, raising concern that the river may already be contaminated.(BAH)