A few facts for those who don't know the subject: This is a 476 hectare farm. It is an urban land, located in the Baztan Valley, accessible to all baztaneses. It is located within a Special Conservation Area. It's the place where Baztanese farmers bring livestock. The primary sector of the Baztan Valley still has a weight; it can be said that in Navarre there are approximately 15% of the livestock holdings, making an average.

The multinational Magna (Magnesitas Navarra) has carried out a project for the construction of a magnesite mine in Erdiz. The project dates back to 2001, but due to various circumstances, including the prohibition of the Spanish Supreme Court to carry out this same project very close to Erdiz, in Zilbeti, in 2015, we are in the year 2023 and the project continues: unimplemented, but with a new business impulse.

The project has generated great opposition in the Baztan. Once again, the interests of a multinational are contrary to those of the citizens. The Baztan City Council has repeatedly called for a referendum to be held to ascertain the opinion of the citizens. But the Spanish Government has denied the possibility of a referendum.

How much have we seen today? It looks like an old account. In these cases there are things that are always repeated. These seem to me to be the most striking, although there are many more.

– Total dependence of governments on the interests of multinationals. It has been said for a long time and it is becoming increasingly clear who commands here. In this case, it should be noted that the parliamentary majority was in favour of the project, including a party that is considered “socio-green”.

– Real weakness of nature protection laws.

– Lack of municipal power. Almost its only mission is to manage conflicts between neighbours. Since in Pamplona there is a plan that is considered strategic, the corresponding city has a party, as a supramunicipal plan of incidence will eliminate everything the city can say.

– As a result of the above, the lack of democratic behaviour: citizens directly affected by the plan cannot express their opinion. They are forbidden.

– Strategies routinely used by the company and the administration to obscure the debate: half-truths and lies, twisting to the extreme the slaughter of legislation that is in principle quite complicated, green propaganda… they have the support of the consultants and “independent” professionals needed for this (well paid).

– The indifference of the majority of society, irrespective of the Saline environmentalism commonly used as ornamental.