The Uruguay is advancing in the installation of a new pastera

Uruguay's President, Tabaré Vázquez, announced that negotiations with UPM for the installation of a new cellulose plant in Paso de los Toros, Tacuarembó, were "very well engaged".or who left the door open for a new conflict with Argentina, as was the case with the former Botnia, where environmentalists have protested and warned for years of the environmental impact that this would generate.

"From my point of view, this will be done," said the Uruguayan president, noting that the experiences with the other two factories already in place were "very good".

On the conflict with Argentina over the pastera in Fray Bentos, Tabaré Vázquez said: "There were many alarms before, but twelve years pbaded and nothing happened. It was said that two-headed children would be born, the number of cancers or leukemias would increase, but twelve years pbaded and none of that happened. The fears were overcome and there was no negative impact. "

And he added: "With existing technology at the international level, we are certain that environmental impacts will be properly addressed."

The deadline to which the Uruguayan government will give UPM – of Finnish origin – to present the project is February 2020 and consider a contribution of one and a half million dollars from both sides to create a training plan and professional advice in the area where the pastera will be installed.

The conflict of ancient Botnia

In February 2005, President Jorge Battle authorized the construction of the pulp mill in Fray Bentos, effective April 15. This put the Argentinian ecologists of Gualeguaychú on alert, in January 2006, they blocked the bridge that united the Argentine city to Fray Bentos for 45 days in protest.

The case took a big dimension and in March 2006, Néstor Kirchner and Tabaré Vázquez, then President of Uruguay, negotiate in Chile to stop the work for 90 days, to which the company Botnia badociates. But in May, Argentina sued Uruguay in The Hague court for violating the 1975 Uruguay River Statute.

As the conflict intensified, the The King of Spain Juan Carlos, who proposed in November to intercede to mediate between the two countries. A few days later, on the 20th of the same month, the Environment Assembly of Gualeguaychú launched a blockade for "an indeterminate time" on the way to Fray Bentos.

A year later, in November 2007, Tabaré Vázquez allowed the operation of the factorywhich complicated relations with Kirchner and the suspension of Spanish negotiations.

Only in April 2010, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague responded to Argentina's request, refusing to move the paper mill claiming that there was no evidence of contamination . However, he ordered both countries to control the environmental impact of the river that they share.

In June, environmentalists were still cutting the bridge and an Argentine judge ordered free transit, although protesters did not withdraw. This led Cristina Kirchner's government – which had already begun to channel relations with José Mujica again – to denounce them criminally and civilly. The next day, they withdrew.

The new developments did not arrive until August 2013, when UPM slowed down activity and warned that the restart of operations will be done only. if the Uruguayan government allows an increase in cellulose production of 1.1 to 1.3 million tons per year.

The ecologists declared themselves "vigilant" and the presidents had to intervene again: Kirchner warned Mujica that if they did not agree to increase their production, he would denounce them again before the court of The Hague. Finally, the Uruguayan president has authorized an increase in production of 100,000 tons, which is half of what was requested by UPM. but subject to compliance with new environmental measures.

In 2016, the first results of the control ordered by The Hague by the two countries were known. The study concluded to the existence of "environmental imbalance" and "slight contamination" on both sides of the Uruguay River.

The report was conducted by a binational laboratory of the Uruguay River Administrative Commission (CARU), through a scientific follow-up on the basis of 50 effluent samples from UPM pastera, 50 records from the mouth of the Gualeguaychú River and 32 entries into the Uruguay River influence zone.

However, he pointed out that pollution This is due not only to the "waste" generated by the UPM pastoral, but also to the waste found at the mouth of the Gualeguaychú river and that the contamination was mild and could be corrected.