By Susan Munroe I met yesterday with Steve Anderson, publisher of The Patagonia Times, a regional branch of the Santiago Times, Chile's first English-language newspaper. His operation is understaffed, and he's been looking for a way to cover the HidroAysen issue in greater depth. "I'll publish anything you write," he told me, "and the more you write, the better."
I start tomorrow with the coverage of a group of cyclists who are biking 1,000km of the Carretera Austral. Chile's roughest, most remote highway, punctuated with numerous fiords that can only be crossed by ferry, the CA is the only overland route into Aysen, and it's where this group of bikers is riding to protest the construction of the dams and transmission line. Along the way they intend to conduct workshops on renewable energy and sustainable living, and open a dialogue with the communities of Aysen, to learn about their culture and hear their thoughts on the impending development.
Their timing is auspicious. At the same time that they are pedaling south, HidroAysen is running their own "open house" campaign, also working to open a dialogue with the Ayseninos, but to opposite ends.
Stay tuned - the first installment should appear in tomorrow's Santiago and Patagonia Times!
Posted by Susan Munroe on 12/11/11
