On 30 May 2011, the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, James Anaya, handed the Government of Costa Rica a copy of the report below, on the situation of the indigenous peoples affected by the El Diquís hydroelectric project. Subsequently, on 2 June 2011, the report was made available to the indigenous peoples and other parties concerned in Costa Rica.
The aim of the El Diquís hydroelectric project, which is being promoted by the State-owned electric utility Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE), is to construct a hydroelectric dam and plant on the Río Grande de Térraba in the south-east of the country for the purposes of large-scale electricity generation. A number of indigenous territories recognized by the State are located in the area affected by the project.
The situation of the communities affected by the project was the subject of correspondence between the Government of Costa Rica and the Special Rapporteur, starting with a letter dated 23 November 2010 in which the Special Rapporteur forwarded a number of allegations he had received regarding the situation. On 27 January 2011, the Government of Costa Rica sent a letter to the Special Rapporteur saying it was “well disposed” to receiving a visit from him to the country, so that he could better assess the situation and prepare some recommendations.
After his visit to Costa Rica, the Special Rapporteur made a number of observations and recommendations on measures he thought should be taken if the Government intended to press ahead with the hydroelectric project. As pointed out in the report, the Special Rapporteur considered that some of his recommendations were of immediate relevance when he sent the report to the Government and other interested parties in May and June 2011, and that they should be acted upon in the near future.
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