In recent months, The “Altri” movement has gained strength in Galicia, becoming one of the largest citizen mobilizations in the region. The opposition to the installation of a cellulose megaphabic By the Portuguese company Others, He has triggered a strong rejection in different sectors of Galician society. The project of Others It consists of the construction of a cellulose factory that would produce 400,000 tons per year, with an environmental and economic impact that has generated great concerns.
The Factory would need to extract 46,000 cubic meters of water a day of the Ulla River, which is equivalent to the consumption of the entire province of Lugo, and would also demand more than 1.2 million cubic meters of eucalyptus wood a year. This eucalyptus monoculture, which is already problematic in Galicia, increases the loss of biodiversity and contributes to the increase in forest fires.
The main criticisms suggest This industry model is extractivist, that is, it focuses on the intensive exploitation of local natural resources without worrying about the long -term consequences. For many Galicians, this is a serious danger to the ecological balance of the region and a threat to traditional sectors such as fishing, agriculture and livestock.
Others Non has been presented at the Congress of Deputies and has demanded that a public euro ‘is not given to the company, which is would add to the recent refusal not to include it in the binding of decarbonization.
Others: Cellulose macrophic project in Lugo
More than 500 people have concentrated on Thursday, May 8, in front of the Congress of Deputies in Madrid to demand the Spanish Government to Rejace to grant any type of financial aid to the cellulose macropric project of the multinational Altri in A Ulloa (Lugo, Galicia).
Concentration, aimed especially at the Galician community in the capital, it has had numerous citizens of different parts of the Statethat have replicated in the career of San Jerónimo the cry of help that is being heard massively in Galicia in the last year: Others non! The act has been convened by the Ulloa Viva platform, composed of neighbors and neighbors of the region of A Ulloa and many other parts of Galicia and numerous environmental NGOs.
During the concentration a manifesto has been read. The title is the same as that of the first great demonstration against the project, in Palas de Rei (May 2024): “Dende A Ulloa ties a estuary: Terra, Augue and Air are life”, and alludes to The socio -environmental threats that the Altri macrocellulose project has from the A Ulloa region, in the geographical heart of Galicia, the Aruous estuary, where the Ulla river flows.
The Portuguese company, in association with Galician Greenalia, aims to extract from this river basin up to 46 Millions of liters of water every day – self -experience of the consumption of the entire province of Lugo – and pour up to 30 million contaminated water at 27º C after passing through the extractive process of cellulose.
“Today we meet here, in front of the Congress of Deputies, to solidarity with a civic movement of dignity, struggle, permanent mobilization, but also of hopewhich for more than a year has risen from the heart of Galicia, to say that it is enough.
To say that the ecological integrity of the territory and our harmonic connection with it is the basis of our existence. To clearly warn that we are not willing to anyone who gives us life. And for, once again, deny the social license to a cellulose plant project that threatens our environment, our way of life and the future of coming generations. After all, to shout high and clear ‘Others Non! ”, It has been heard during the manifesto reading.
European Funds of Perte
It has transcended the Negative of the Ministry of Industry and Tourism that Altri receives 30 million euros that he had requested within the framework of the European funds associated with the strategic project for the recovery and economic transformation (PERTE), aimed at decarbonization projects.
Convening organizations have celebrated it as a small victory, but warn that the company still insists on asking the State Government to up to 250 million euros of direct aid. “What really Galicia need to listen to the central government is that from the public coffers there will not be a single euro or the belong or any kind of direct aidbecause the project is enormously detrimental to the environment and Galician society, ”they have affirmed.
Since May 26 of last yearwhen more than 20,000 people marched against Altri in the zero zone of the project, Palas de Rei – A municipal head of about a thousand inhabitants – in Galicia the largest mobilizations that are remembered from the prestige crisis are being lived.
Hundreds of Boats entering the Ría de Aruous in defense of the sea; tens of thousands surrounding the headquarters of the Xunta de Galicia in Compostela; Up to 100,000 people, also in the Galician capital, filling three times on the same day the Praza do Obradoiro; And so, endless claiming activities every week.
Far from discouragement with the publication by the Xunta de Galicia of an environmental impact statement, conditioned, but favorable to the companythe movement has intensified the mobilizations and already announces numerous judicial resources in case the Xunta grants the integrated environmental authorization.