Memo Abra Pampa, August 19-20, 2008

This is an email chain between University of Texas student Matthew Wooten and Professor Ariel Dulitzky of the Human Rights Clinic. Wooten sends documents to Professor Dulitzky and describes meeting with a “Fiscal Federal,” a federal prosecutor of the Argentinian government, Antonio Gustavo Gomez. Apparently the prosecutor’s office had spoken with the Indian Law Research Center about Abra Pampa. Wooten and the prosecutor also spoke of other mines such as the Minera Alumbrera and Agua Rica, which uses tremendous amounts of water from the Campo el Arenales aquifer. The mining company’s own Environmental Impact study had stated that the water use would probably cause significant local climate change over the next 40 years; the Calchaqui Valleys will dry up. Professor Dulitzky mentions knowing Leonardo Crippa from the Indian Law Resource Center.