Protests against World Bank funding in pulp mills in Uruguay
At least 300 Argentine ecologists recently protested after the World Bank indicated that it would go ahead with funding pulp mill projects in neighbouring Uruguay. In the second week of October, the bank announced that the pulp mills met its environmental standards.
Protestors blocked roads in the town of Gualeguaychu that lead to a bridge across the river Uruguay linking the two countries. Local residents fear that the us $1.7-billion pulp mill projects, constructed on the bank of the river Uruguay, will contaminate the river and harm tourism and fishing. Uruguayans, on the other hand, insist that the project is environmentally safe. Initially, the two projects were planned to be constructed by Finnish company Metsa-Botnia and Spanish company Ence. Following a series of protests since March 2006, Ence relocated its projects in September; Botnia is still going ahead.Earlier this year, the International Court of Justice rejected an Argentine request to suspend construction of the mills. But Argentina continues to challenge the decision.