SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) 鈥� Thousands of people marched on Sunday in Santiago and other cities in Chile to following the withdrawal of dozens of environmental decrees by arch-conservative President Jos茅 Antonio Kast.
The decrees rolled back by Kast鈥檚 administration had been signed during the government of left-wing former Chilean leader , whom Kast earlier this month.
The demonstration, called by several environmental organizations under the slogan 鈥淒on鈥檛 鈥楰ast-igate鈥� Nature,鈥� drew thousands more participants in 15 cities across the country.
Crist贸bal Rodr铆guez, national spokesperson for the Movement for the Defense and Access to Water, Land and the Environment 鈥� one of the organizers 鈥� said that in Chile there are still 1.4 million people without access to drinking water.
The new president 鈥渞epresents a setback that reflects his Pinochet-era roots and is commodifying nature to levels never seen before,鈥� Rodr铆guez said.
The new Chilean president ordered the halt of 43 environmental protection regulations one day after taking office. These measures protected species such as Darwin鈥檚 frog and the Humboldt penguin, created national parks and outlined decontamination plans, such as for Lake Villarrica, among other things. They also regulated emissions from thermoelectric plants.
鈥淲e want to generate the best possible public policy around full employment, always respecting the environment,鈥� Kast told the press after the decision.
Rodr铆guez said that the new administration 鈥渦ses nature as a battleground to favor the interests of big capital鈥� and that the removal of the 鈥�43 decrees shows an environmental chainsaw approach.鈥�
Both in his government plan and during campaign statements, Kast acknowledged the existence of climate change, but said that he is in favor of economic deregulation and prioritizing technical criteria over what he calls 鈥渆nvironmental ideologies.鈥�
marks Chile鈥檚 most right-wing turn since 1990, when the country restored democracy after 17 years of brutal military rule under Gen. Augusto Pinochet 鈥� a leader that Kast campaigned for in his youth.
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