Yo bebo leche y agua

Dates

2022 - 2024
Author

Sarah Schneider and Stella Meyer
Topics Documentary, Social Issues
Location Chile Chico, Chile

In 1973, Pinochet's U.S.-backed coup led to a dictatorship and Chile’s water privatization. In Patagonia, locals resist hydropower projects like Edelaysén. Efforts to deprivatize water via a new constitution failed, keeping Pinochet’s legacy alive.

In 1973, General Augusto Pinochet led a U.S.-backed military coup in Chile, establishing a brutal dictatorship. Under his rule, the «Código de Aguas», shaped by the neoliberal Chicago Boys, privatized Chile’s water resources, turning water into a tradable commodity. In Patagonia Chilena, vast bodies of water sustain life and fuel water businesses. In Puerto Guadal, locals formed the «Los Maquis Libres» movement to protect their river from the Canadian hydroelectric company Edelaysén. Attempts to deprivatize water through a new constitution have been rejected, perpetuating the legacy of Pinochet’s economic policies.

The Chicago Boys are Chilean economists who studied at the University of Chicago. Inspired by Milton Friedman, a renowned economist, they created a guide for the introduction of neoliberalism in Chile - "El Ladrillo" (translated as "The Brick"). Glacier ice melting cyanotype on laser print b/w. Archive image: Chicago Boys, author n/a. 16.2.2024, Puerto Guadal, Chile.

The Guadalinos receive their drinking water from Lago General Carrera. They do not own water rights themselves but obtain it through the local Drinking Water Committee APR (Comité de Agua Potable Rural). The APR holds water rights at a point in the lake and serves as the manager and distributor of water in the village. 4.2.2023, Puerto Guadal, Chile.

Three thousand circumnavigations of the Earth with 0.5L water bottles - that's how much water Waters of Patagonia has available annually for its water bottling business. The company holds water rights to Lake Jorge Montt, a lake formed by the melting of the glacier. Additionally, it has a patent for determining the age of the water. Therefore, they promote e.g. Da Vinci Water and Stardust Water.

"From our house, we saw every day how Edelaysén destroyed everything. In the end, we try everything possible to protect the river." Cristobal Weber McKay (32) and Franny Parkinson (33) are founders of the Los Maquis Libres movement. For almost five years, they have been in a legal process against the company Edelaysén, along with a lawyer.

Those who live outside of the center have to take care of their own water supply. This means not only acquiring their own water rights from the state, but also building their own water pipes. This process can take years and very pricey. 5.2.2023, Puerto Guadal, Chile.

At first, many people joined the Los Maquis Libres movement. But soon, the city administration of Chile Chico began to exert pressure on them. And the mayor banned them from speaking on the radio. As a result, many individuals holding public offices left the movement, fearing for their jobs. 14.3.2022, Villa Cerro Castillo, Chile.

The Canadian power generation company Edelaysén began constructing a hydroelectric power plant on the Los Maquis River in 2019. The construction went far beyond the previously published plans, leading to road construction and the destruction of a forest. The waterfall was always a very important recreational area for the residents and a popular destination for tourists.

On September 4, 2022, 62% of Chileans voted against a new constitution that would have provided for both a revision of the water law and changes in environmental protection. "It cannot be that a person or a company is the owner of water. How can it be that you have water right in front of you, but you are not allowed to use it?" Cristobal Weber McKay (32).

I'm afraid of the future. Knowing that eventually there won't be enough water for us. I wish we had a greater awareness of the nature surrounding us. But people are not adequately informed. And the schools don't care to change that either. Diego Martin (21). 31.1.2023, Puerto Guadal, Chile.

Staged Photo. Often, water bottling companies argue that they are saving the precious glacier water from flowing into the sea in order to use it as drinking water. This luxury product is then tasted by wealthy individuals at water expos worldwide before being sold exclusively and at high prices.

Yo bebo leche y agua by Sarah Schneider and Stella Meyer

Prev Next