Futa Friends

The Mission

To secure permanent protection status for the Futaleufú River in Chilean Patagonia and assist, as a US based organization, with the protection of other wild rivers in the region as the threat from hydroelectric dams and mining grows throughout southern Chile and Argentina.

Visit FutaFriends.org to learn more.

Board Members
Don Weeden
Peter Skinner
Laurence Alvarez-Roos
Chris Spelius
Boyce Greer

Executive Director
Daniel A. Gonzalez
danielgon@tds.net

Visit the Futaleufu video page on Channel G.

Based in Colorado, Futafriends was incorporated in 1999 as a 501c3 by Chileans and Americans to defend the Futaleufú River from hydroelectric dams. In the mid 90’s Endesa, a Spanish controlled power company, secured all the water rights to the Futaleufú River precluding the rights of local people. A group of Chileans and Americans attempted to stop such abuse by funding legal advisors to act on behalf of the local Municipality. Ultimately, Endesa and their powerful lawyers prevailed and the community lost control of their river. This defeat inspired the birth of Futafriends, formerly known as Futafund.

Dams

Endesa, Chile’s largest power company privatized by Pinochet during the 80’s, has an ambitious plan to expand throughout Southamerica. Today the company controls most of Chilean rivers through water rights it secured while a state owned company.

After destroying the magnificent Bio Bio river, Endesa has now plans to dam the wild rivers of Patagonia including the Futaleufú. If dams are built, they will forever silence some of the world’s greatest whitewater, destroying rich environments, home to the puma, the nearly extinct huemul and the majestic Andean condor. The dams would also put an end to the unique mountain and farming communities still prevailing in southern Chile.

info@futafriends.org 

 

Lead By :

Contact Details :
Street : 53 Pan American Av.
City : Paonia
State/Province : CO
Post/Zip Code : 81428
Phone # : 970-527-3986