“As the rich have used poor countries to get cheap raw materials, rural areas are now sacrificable to cities.” This is how it emerges from the Erdiz Bizirik platform against the mine that Magnesitas Navarras wants to build on the Erdiz grassland of Baztan. This was explained last Friday by spokesman Jon Elizetxe Bidebain at the Committee on Rural Development and the Environment of the Foral Parliament.

The members of the platform believe that “the mine would destroy the trade and future of the peasants who use Erdiz’s racquet”. In particular, 476 hectares of 260 livestock would disappear. “Baztan is the region that is maintaining the primary sector in Navarra and Erdiz is the key to maintaining this level.” It is estimated that 80 families, 250 mares, 500 cows and 1,500 males use Erdiz throughout the year.

In view of the extension of the area, they consider that the site would create serious environmental problems throughout the region: “Some protected species will disappear, the surrounding waters and sources will be contaminated and dust and noise will be generalized by the transportation of materials. In addition, Magna’s own activity directly influences the health of citizens: it is the third company in Navarre that produces the most CO2”.

In this sense, Elizetxe recalls the “legal precedent” of the Magnesitas Navarras mine project in Zilbeti. In 2015 the Supreme Court rejected the project on the grounds that damaging some of the protected space harms the entire protected space. “The project is therefore illegal,” the spokesman said. It must be said that the protected area of Zilbeti is the same as that of Erdiz, the massif of Aldude. It is also part of the Natura 2000 network and has the name of ecological grassland.

According to Elizetxe, all this attracts “a vital tourism sector in the Baztan”. Therefore, the project, in addition to ending the posts of “already existing”, “would end with endless jobs, both landscape and transversal”.

However, PSN, Geroa Baie and Navarra Suma bet to prioritize the jobs that Magnesitas Navarras would provide. As an alternative to farmers, they defend the choice made by the company that owns the subsidiary Magnesitas Magna. In other words, rotating livestock in areas that are not exploited at the time, but Erdiz Activa does not see it well, either in a practical way or from an environmental point of view.

Ahal Dugu, Left-Ezkerra and EH Bildu share the analysis of the platform and accuse Antonio Javier Lecunberri of the PSN that in his speech Magna has only read the arguments sent by email last week to all parliamentarians. “In short, they want to export communal lands and deliver them to multinationals,” Elizetxe said.

Demonstration in Pamplona

Demonstration 22 April International Day of the Rural Environment and Active Erdiz has called a demonstration against the mine in the streets of Pamplona. Despite the protests of Baztan, this time the platform wants the institutions located in the Capital Navarra to listen to their message under the motto The defense of the rural environment.

In the open note, it is said that “22 years have passed since the Governing Board authorised the company Magnesitas Navarras to carry out surveys in Erdiz. At that time, we were not able to see with good eyes that the largest community trough in Baztan was pierced in half height to fill the pockets of a gigantic company. In the Baztandarra 87% line up against the mining project. Today we are still against the mining project to be carried out in Erdiz.”

In fact, the institutions of the Baztan Valley have tried to make three consultations: the first, when Magna's project was not yet registered at the proposal of the city council, was rejected by the Government of Spain; the second was rejected by the General Boards of the area, but argued that it had no competence over industrial projects, was suspended; and the third proposal by the 14 mayors of Baztan was rejected by the Delegation. In the latter case, the Civil Guard ordered the mayors to go to the barracks and threatened to be punished in case of interrogation.

“That’s democracy!” Elizetxe said. “As the baztans seem rather silly, the Government of Navarra has to tell us what is in our interest. “What was the Foral Participation Act approved for? How do you want to believe in the institutions if you override us and devour us?” Elizetxe asks the parliamentarians.