Eduardo Giesen from Colectivo VientoSur told Real World Radio “Michelle Bachelet (former Chilean president) and Sebastian Piñera (current president) spoke against nuclear energy. They then opened the door for research and even for international cooperation in power generation”

The nuclear energy agreements signed by Chile with France and the United States “are aimed at developing nuclear power as part of the energy matrix, it has no other purpose and we are openly exposing it”, added Giesen.

The Chilean government denies the existence of a nuclear program and claims it has no plans to install a nuclear plant.

The Nuclear Security Law currently in force in the country, allows the regulated use of nuclear power. The law provides a process of authorizations for the construction, operation, closing down and dismantling of a nuclear plant.

There are two experimental nuclear reactors in Chile, managed by the Chilean Nuclear Energy Commission, which is a state agency.
Giesen warned about the strong nuclear lobby in Chile through agents linked with US, French and Russian business groups. He regretted that some economic groups and transnational corporations “determine the energy future of our country” and that they do not take into account the “real needs of the population, let alone socio-environmental sustainability”.

He highlighted the energy debate cannot be a technological debate. “This is a discussion on the main political and social actors, who make the big decisions. And it is also a scale problem”.

A press release issued last week by VientoSur stresses the need for a “citizen debate to come up with a project for the country” and to demand “community management of energy sources”. The concept of “community energy” is essential, according to Giesen because it advocates for energy generation at a smaller scale, to answer to the communities’ real needs and it calls for a strong state that ensures electricity for all.

“We know that we will not achieve the necessary scenario we are calling for in the current (Sebastian Piñera’s) administration, nor within a socio-political system like the one dominating our country and most Latin American countries”, he acknowledged.

He said it is key to “fight for a democratic political process” that leads to citizen participation and makes it possible to adopt environmental sustainability criteria.

“As long as there is no such thing, the only possibility is for communities and movements to demonstrate against unsustainable energies, such as nuclear power and all kinds of megaprojects”, he suggested.

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/606499...