Feminists join the defense of the Andes and warn: “We will remain in the streets until the Government understands”

Santiago.- The Mirabal Sisters feminist movement reaffirmed this Tuesday its support for the fight in defense of the Cordillera Septentrional and warned that it will continue in the streets alongside the communities until the Government rules out any initiative that puts at risk the water sources and the environmental balance of the area. During her participation in the day of protest held in Santiago, a feminist activist and spokesperson for the organization stated that the movement is committed to integrating into each of the struggles that involve the defense of the environment, considering that it is a cause directly linked to the life, health, and dignity of the population.

“We will stand firm and face forward, assuming the commitment to the population. We will be in the streets until the Government understands that this is not an isolated fight, but a collective defense of water, air and life,” expressed the representative of the movement.

The feminist leader insisted that allowing projects that affect the Cordillera Septentrional would mean condemning the communities to face serious environmental consequences, including water scarcity and air pollution, so she called on the authorities to listen to the citizens’ clamor before making decisions that could be irreversible. In that sense, he recalled that this resistance is part of other historical struggles fought in the country in defense of natural resources, citing as a reference the case of Loma Miranda, a symbol of social mobilization against extractive projects that have generated widespread rejection in different sectors.

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The spokesperson emphasized that organized women not only support the environmental cause, but also assume it as a permanent responsibility, understanding that the impacts of a possible mining exploitation would fall more heavily on the most vulnerable families and communities. The participation of the Hermanas Mirabal movement took place within the framework of the fourth march held in Santiago by community, religious, environmental, and social organizations, which reject the alleged plans for mining exploration or exploitation in the Cordillera Septentrional, considering that they threaten more than 300 water sources and would endanger one of the main natural reserves of the Cibao. The protest once again brought together dozens of citizens who are demanding this Tuesday that the Government be transparent about any authorization related to extractive activities in the area and reiterate that they will not allow an environmental conflict similar to the one that occurred in other provinces of the country to be repeated in Santiago.