Environmental group Plataforma Salvemos el Berrocal has issued a warning that the Trujillo factory’s annual water consumption could exceed that of the entire local population.
Local media reported that environmentalist groups such as Ecologistas en Acción have expressed concern about prioritising diamond production over people's needs.
At a meeting earlier this month, environmentalist Fernando Teijón said that in a region where water is sparse, people should come before luxuries such as diamonds. Aquanex director David Bejarano echoed this sentiment and said it wasn’t a viable project.
“Right now, the factory has no water recycling infrastructure, meaning it’s competing with the community for essential resources. Long term, this just isn’t viable,” he said.
As reported by EuroWeeklyNews, a spokesperson for Diamond Foundry insisted that the company held all necessary permits and that a small local group was fueling the controversy.
This is not the first time that Diamond Foundry has clashed with residents. In late 2023, a protest against installing high-voltage towers occurred at El Berrocal. At the time, Diamond Foundry CEO Martin Roscheisen told JCK Online there were no outstanding environmental issues.
A report published by El Salto in early January extensively detailed local concerns about the plant.
“The water supply to Diamond Foundry is, once again, also in question, as it would cause serious supply problems for drinking water for the population of Trujillo and its surroundings,” writes Eugenio Romero.
“Neither green, nor sustainable, nor energy self-sufficient, nor carbon neutral, nor employment, nor wastewater recycling, nor low water consumption.”
“This project is the umpteenth example of colonialism in our Extremadura, from which they extract water, energy, land and public money, destroying the most beautiful places to take, in this case, the diamonds to Madrid, London, New York or Shanghai.”
The company has many high-profile supporters. Among them is Dicaprio, the star of Blood Diamond, Titanic and The Departed, who invested in the company during early rounds of fundraising.
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