MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine Government Thwarts Pulp Mill Activists Heading for UNASUR Summit

Gualeguaychú pickets have been blocking traffic with Uruguay since 2006

In what was considered a change in approach by the Argentine Government, several minivans and cars with Gualeguaychú activists that were heading to the UNASUR summit in Campana, Buenos Aires province, were delayed Tuesday by police at a crucial inter-provincial bridge.

The activists were trying to get to the Los Cardales Hotel to set a protest in front of the UNASUR leaders summit mostly aimed at Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and Uruguay's José Mujica, as the Botnia pulp mills’ dispute case was not included in the summit's agenda.

Environmental activist Alejandra Crimella told reporters that “the police stopped us, asked for our names and then said that they would have to escort us. But we are still stuck here waiting for the escort.” Crimella also charged against the Argentine government, “They are going against our freedom of transit and speech.”

A member of the Gualeguaychú Assembly responsible for pickets blocking a bridge leading to Uruguay, José Gómez was interviewed by the Buenos Aires Herald who confirmed that several vehicles with activists were delayed and “are not allowed to continue their way to Campana.”

Gómez also warned that the Assembly has not approved any protest, “even though some of them are members of the Assembly, it has neither discussed nor approved a protest at the UNASUR Summit”, and added, “I heard that they have already contacted the Assembly's attorneys to manage the situation with the delayed vehicles but the lawyers denied assistance since it's a problem that has nothing to do with the Assembly”.

The Argentine government attitude towards the pickets blocking traffic with Uruguay for years has been so far “complacent” when not “permissive”, and has repeatedly argued it would not repress people making use of their “right to free speech”.