Uruguayan organizations express their opposition to the forestry project before the World Bank

(Montevideo, November 11th, 2006)/ A few days after the World Bank starts considering the request of a $170 million-dollar loan submitted by Botnia for the construction of a pulp mill in Fray Bentos, the National Commission in Defense of Water and Life and REDES - Friends of the Earth Uruguay sent a letter to the World Bank urging the agency not to grant the credit to Botnia "for reasons of environmental, social and economic sustainability in Uruguay.

The National Commission in Defense of Water and Life expressed that the forestry model, which became stronger with pulp mill production, has negative effects on water resources and therefore violated the constitutional reform voted in October of 2004 that prioritizes the human use of water.

REDES-Friends of the Earth Uruguay exposed the actions of Botnia before the Permanent Peoples' Tribunal on European Transnationals in Latin America - held in May of 2006 - for violating human rights. The Tribunal accepted the critique and considered that there is "clear evidence that moving forward with this project will violate the right of access to basic utilities, the right to land, food sovereignty and safety, labor rights, environmental rights and political and civil rights".

In the letter addressed to the World Bank, the organizations also said the studies conducted by Eco Metrix and by Pacific Consultants International assessing the project are completely biased in favor of afforestation and pulp mills. They also mentioned that the studies also ignore the observations, remarks and questions raised by the social organizations from Uruguay, so this nullifies the public participation process.

For more information please contact:

Néstor Perdomo

CNDAV

099-053831

(0598) 2 924 4858.

aguayvida@adinet.com.uy

Fernández Crespo 2256.

María Selva Ortiz

REDES-Amigos de la Tierra

099-259822

(05982) 9082730 - 9022355

agua@redes.org.uy