Chile
An analysis of the Patagonia Parks Controversies
By Sean Hamner
U.S. Conservationist, Chile sign creation of National Parks
Tompkins and Patagonia Parks
Over the years, the Tompkins have been buying up huge swaths of land in Patagonia to conserve and develop into parks (NYT). This environmental intervention on the Tompkins's’ part has caused controversy among government officials, ranchers, and many other Chileans (NYT). Their land donation was the largest land donation to a government ever (NPR).
Resistance from the right
Many folks on the right believe that it’s an issue of sovereignty, and protection of territory. Conservative Senator Antonio Horvath put it this way:
"If I were to go to the United States and buy a big area of Florida as an environmental preserve and tell people they can't go here or there, I think the U.S. would kick me right out of there," Mr. Horvath argued. "Every nation wants some degree of protection of its territory, and Chile is no different." (NYT).
Resistance against Tompkins
Ranchers feel that when they buy land, their traditional livelihoods are threatened (NYT). Many business leaders, landowners, and conservatives alike feel like Tompkinses purchases are putting good land out of use, and stunting economic development (NYT).
Resistance from the right
An important thing to note about Chile is it’s current economy. Chile, like many Latin American countries adopted neo-liberal policies during the turmoil of the 1980s and continued to have free market policy following the dictatorship (Undurraga). Given the free market focus of Chile’s economy, it is understandable that citizens are against the government owning or operating anything like national parks. National parks are a relatively socialist and American idea, which directly contradicts the ideals and values that have come from a capitalist society.
Resistance from the right
However, the Tompkinses are a private entity. They are not the government. So, shouldn’t the Chileans, more specifically those on the right side of the political spectrum, be okay with a person buying land for their own use? This seems like it should be the case, but there are some other reasons for the distrust of the Tompkinses.
Why does this resistance exist?
Many Chileans don’t understand why someone would by up all of this land for a “strange purpose, for conservation”. Since Tompkins is an American, many folks assume they may have some sort of hidden agenda (NYT). Additionally, what may make this problematic for conservatives is that they are giving land to the government, for free. This goes against the conservative ideal of having a small government by increasing how much land is in the government’s hands.
Latin America and the U.S.
Since the inception of the Monroe Doctrine, the U.S. has exerted an unprecedented influence on Latin America. The U.S. has intervened with countries in Latin America well over 50 times since 1890 (Yachana).
Chile and the U.S.
Due to the U.S. history of intervention in Latin America, it’s easy to understand why people in Chile are skeptical of someone like Tompkins buying land and practically giving it away for free. The distrust of Americans can be traced back to the CIA’s involvement in the 1973 coup of Allende (yachana). Additionally, given the history of the conquest of Latin America, it’s easy to see why folks would be weary of large, eurocentric, powers like the U.S. The pain and suffering felt from colonization and imperialism are still felt by many.
Chile and the U.S.
State Department says the following about relations between the two countries with regards to the environment:
“U.S.-Chile collaboration on environmental protection and scientific research is extensive and includes sustainable development, energy efficiency and conservation, wildlife management of terrestrial and marine protected areas, environmental law enforcement, glacier monitoring, and agricultural best practices...The National Science Foundation has invested over a billion dollars in astronomical observatories in Chile, with plans to invest hundreds of billions more in the coming years”(.Gov).
Tompkins and Chile
Despite the chummy relationship between the Chilean government and the United States, it’s clear to see why Chileans are skeptical of the Tompkins. Despite the skepticism and distrust among some chileans, it’s important to note that this controversial move is not necessarily an unpopular or without support. In fact, one of their biggest supporters has been President Michelle Bachelet.
Bachelet and Tompkins
Bachelet’s support is evident in the AP video. Tompkins sees Bachelet’s leadership and ability to see the economic potential of the creation and preservation of Chile’s wildlands (NYT). Without the support of Bachelet, Tompkins would have had an even tougher uphill battle.
Conclusions
The support for the conservation of Patagonia is not one without controversy. Ranchers and business owners feel like valuable land is being taken away (theGuardian). The distrust among Chileans is rooted in the history of eurocentric powers intervening in Latin America to protect their own interests. Not everyone on the right necessarily disagrees with this move. For example, the center-right president of Argentina, Mauricio Macri is hugely supportive of the Tompkins model of conservation (theguardian). The debate on land use in Latin America has been going on since Europeans first set foot on the continent, and will continue in the future.
References
Bonnefoy, P. (2018, February 19). With 10 Million Acres in Patagonia, a National Park System Is Born. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/19/world/americas/patagonia-national-park-chile.html
In Chile, Landowner Makes The Largest Private Donation Of Land To A Government. (2017, March 26). Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2017/03/26/521550376/in-chile-landowner-makes-the-largest-private-donation-of-land-to-a-government
Rohter, L. (2005, August 07). An American in Chile Finds Conservation a Hard Slog. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/07/world/americas/an-american-in-chile-finds-conservation-a-hard-slog.html
US conservationist, Chile sign creation of national parks. (2018, February 03). Retrieved May 1, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d12qbRY4vxA
References Cont.
Unduragga, Tomas. “Neoliberalism in Argentina and Chile: common antecedents, divergent paths” (February, 2015.) http://www.scielo.br/pdf/rsocp/v23n55/0104-4478-rsocp-23-55-0011.pdf
Becker, M. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.yachana.org/teaching/resources/interventions.html
Franklin, J. (2018, January 29). Chile creates five national parks over 10m acres in historic act of conservation. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jan/29/chile-creates-five-national-parks-in-patagonia
Chile. (2018, February 16). Retrieved from https://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1981.htm
Tompkins, K. M. (2018, February 01). Protecting Wilderness as an Act of Democracy. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/01/opinion/protecting-wilderness-democracy.html