The blog Interparaguay [es] shares several videos on a project headed by Río Tinto Alcan to build an aluminium smelter in Paraguay. In the last video, Mercedes Canese, Vice Minister of Mining and Energy during Fernando Lugo's government, answers some questions about the project and its impact on the environment.
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Some Citizens from the extreme left may reject it, but most of the people are not either rejecting it nor supporting this project, because they do not have enough information about it.
In my opinion this project if realized, will help the country fight the lack of jobs for graduates.
There is a need to clarify that Paraguay has almost 7-million “Citizens”. In a democracy, you need half plus one of the “Citizens” to reject the project in order to say that that was the “Citizens”‘ opinion (actually 3 millions are registered to vote, so you need one-and-a-half-million plus one people to reject the project). By the way. Ms. Canese negotiated for 4 years the establishment of the plant, and only now that his boss was impeached for incompetence she is raising her voice against the deal she herself helped to negotiate.
Here Ms. Canese ponders on market price of electricity for Rio Tinto, number of jobs to be created and carbon dioxide trade:
http://ea.com.py/hay-que-profundizar-el-debate-en-cuanto-a-la-instalacion-de-la-empresa-rio-tinto-en-paraguay/
Here is an audio interview where Ms. Canese states that there is an agreement that Paraguay will not subsidize anything and she hopes that Rio Tinto will be able to pay what is being asked. He also states that a lot of jobs will be created during the construction of the plant:
http://w.cardinal.com.py/noticias/viceministra_de_minas_mercedes_canese_aclar_que_ro_tinto_deber_pagar_el_costo_de_energa_si_se_paga_menos_de_ese_costo_quedar_una_diferencia_que_el_gobierno_tendr_que_pagar_6786.html
Here Ms. Canese gives a date for all the paperwork to be ready for an in-depth analysis and mentions Paraguayan “industrialists’ expectations” and the “government healthy responsability” to get the most from the deal:
http://www.novaparaguay.com/nota.asp?n=2011_12_14&id=17865&id_tiponota=4
Here Ms. Canese says Lugo’s government is finishing a draft proposal for the conditions to green-light Rio Tinto’s investment
http://www.ssme.gov.py/vmme/pdf/riotinto/IIAudiencia/audiencia-5.pdf
Here Ms. Canese says they will welcome Rio Tinto if the company pays what the government is asking for. Otherwise Paraguay will look for other deals with other corporations:. It was during an Open House”-style debate in the National Congress Palace:
http://www.5dias.com.py/10024-ro-tinto-no-logra-acuerdo-estatal
Here Ms. Canese proposes a price for the electrity to be sold to Rio Tinto:
http://www.ultimahora.com/notas/522323-Equipo-tecnico-recomienda-a-Lugo-que-Rio-Tinto-pague-minimo-USD-70-megavatiohora
Here Ms. Canese confirms that Lugo’s administration analysis on the Rio Tinto investment is ready and now it will be distributed:
http://www.americaeconomia.com/negocios-industrias/brasil-pretende-comprarle-energia-paraguay
Here Ms. Canese says she will take Rio Tinto investment proposal to Congress for an “Open House”-style debate for a second time in a row:
http://www.ssme.gov.py/vmme/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=604&limitstart=30
Here Ms. Canese is not happy with the low number of jobs Rio Tinto will retain and she steers the debate to price for the electricity to be sold and tax revenues for the government. Ms. Canese confirms that negotiation are advancing and several important milestones are being reached:
http://www.ssme.gov.py/vmme/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1528:audiencia-publica-es-el-paso-previo-antes-de-cualquier-acuerdo-con-rio-tinto-alcan&catid=96:sample-news&Itemid=552
A mere three weeks after her last public statement about Tio Tinto, President Lugo’s impeacment occurs and therefore Ms. Canese resign and denounces Rio Tinto of Human Right abuses all-over the world:
http://www.abc.com.py/edicion-impresa/economia/canese-renuncio-a–minas-y-energia-418719.html