In June the Slovenian government announced a list of over 180 investments aimed at kick-starting the economy post-Covid-19, including gas projects, road construction and a new nuclear power plant. It also suspended environmental and nature protections, by speeding up construction and development permits. The rights of campaigners to challenge such development projects were changed so that most of the country’s environmental and conservation NGOs are not eligible to challenge them in the courts until the end of 2021, when many projects will already be in progress.
Analysis by a worldwide coalition of NGOs found that mining companies have used ‘any means necessary’ to continue working, including lobbying to weaken measures that limit the negative impacts of their activities and pushing to be categorized as an ‘essential’ service. This has put local communities and company workforces at risk, particularly in rural and indigenous areas where people are already more vulnerable to Covid-19. Meanwhile, governments have tried to shut down resistance, in some cases deploying military and the police. Canadian company Yamana Gold has reportedly taken advantage of the shutdown to advance its Suyai exploration-stage project in the province of Chubut, Argentina, where mining has been banned since 2003. In May, people took to the streets for a socially distanced protest and many received threats form the police.
