Mining… seriously! – The Counter

By the title of this opinion I do not mean that the Constitutional Convention has not taken mining seriously, but, on the contrary, much of the Convention has repeatedly rejected rules that the Committee on the Environment has proposed on mining, so the voice of the Constitutional Convention does take mining seriously!
We are missing a historic opportunity, which is to have modernized our mining, that is, to have taken care of what we have and to have moved towards a more developed mining, which today means moving towards sustainable mining, as countries such as Canada, Australia and Norway have been able to do.
We are a deeply mining country, and we should be proud of that. We were conquered by minerals and then, as a Republic, we have survived, grown and shaped socioculturally thanks to Mining, especially in the North of Chile. And we have been able to create a mining industry recognized worldwide as successful, with a virtuous public-private synergy, being, for example, CODELCO one of the few success stories of state-owned mining companies in the world.
Now, like any human activity, Chilean mining has lights and shadows. But we must not forget that Chilean mining is a reflection of our society, a society that is internationally recognized as highly unequal. And for sample, just a button. At the beginning of the nineteenth century the per capita income between Chile and Australia was relatively similar, and on that date, approximately, both nations enjoyed a boom What happened in Chile? The economic wealth generated by mining went into the hands of a few, and there was not much social equity in the distribution of those, leaving us from that time –mainly– only ruins scattered within our beautiful desert. What happened in Australia? Of course, mining entrepreneurs also benefited from that boom, creating great fortunes; but, in addition, Australia increased its social spending (investment) and the distribution of this mining wealth was much more equitable and, already at the end of the nineteenth century, Australia surpassed Chile by more than 50% of per capita income and, today, we can see the clear differences in social and economic development that exist between both countries.
In short, any change or improvement to the legal status of mining, due to its historical, economic and social importance, must be assumed with great responsibility, where mining companies, experts, mining organizations and broad sectors of the political spectrum must work, with the great and serious purpose of moving towards a more developed mining, which seeks to convert a finite and natural capital (belonging to the whole Nation), in other forms of capital that are compatible with long-term human and ecosystem development, which will result in a legitimized and socially validated activity, which confers legal certainty to the parties involved, as well as equitable economic growth and greater benefits for the community in general and, especially, for local communities where mining projects are located.

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The content expressed in this opinion column is the sole responsibility of its author, and does not necessarily reflect the editorial line or position of El Mostrador.

Original source in Spanish