Brazil’s energy minister announced on March 10 that the South American nation plans to build two new hydroelectric dams, one along its border with Bolivia and one along the Argentinian border. The three nations will meet later in the month to discuss logistics. The plants are intended to generate a total of 12,000 MW. This is in addition to the two dams already under construction along the Madeira River.

On March 14, the International Day of Action for Rivers, International Rivers Network (IRN) announced the launch of a new pressure campaign against two of the corporations involved in five massive planneds dam along the Baker and Pascua rivers in Chilean Patagonia.

One of the companies being protested is the Matte Group, which along with Angelini Group controls 49% of a joint venture invested in the dams. Matte and Angelini are Chile’s two largest wood products and pulp companies. The other targeted company is Italian energy firm Enel, which controls the other 51%.

The proposed dams are intended to supply power to the capital city of Santiago, 1,500 miles north. This long-distance transmission would require one of the world’s longest clearcuts through a threatened rainforest that provides habitat for the last critically endangered huemul deer.