A decade of conflict over the Spanish-owned company Endesa’s plans for a 570-megawatt hydroelectric dam on the Bío-Bío River in central Chile has ended now that the Chilean government has brokered an accord with four longtime holdout indigenous families in the project area. For leaving their land, each of the four Pehuenche families will receive $298,000 and 190 acres (77 hectares) of similar property elsewhere. They join 87 other Pehuenche families that have accepted compensation for land Endesa needed in order to carry out the $600 million project, which already is over 90% complete. Under the Sept. 17 agreement, the government promises to compensate 10 other indigenous families indirectly affected by the dam. It also pledges to press Chile’s Congress to approve... [Log in to read more]