Meet Our Graduates: José Henriquez of Santiago, Chile

The latest posting in our "Meet Our Graduates" video series is now available. This posting involves José Henriquez, of Santiago, Chile, who graduted with his LLM in Environmental and Natural Resources Law & Policy in December 2009.

All of us at DU were delighted to have Jose study here, and we wish him great luck in all of his future professional endeavors. We are also happy to say that José and his family were not adversely impacted by the recent earthquakes that resulted in enormous damage and caused significant sadness in the great country of Chile.

To see José speaking in espanol about his experiences, please click here.

To see him speaking in English, please click here.

New Chilean Legislation Establishes Ministry of Environment and Other Related Bodies

Chile has enacted a new law involving the environment. One part of the legislation will create the Ministry of the Environment, a Cabinet-level department, which will advise the country's president about designing and implementing new plans, policies, and programs to protect the environment. The Ministry will also take part in promoting renewable energy as well as improving the country's regulatory framework for environmental protection.

The legislation also establishes a Ministerial Council for Sustainability, a body that will assist the president in matters involving sustainable development. Moreover, the legislation establishes the Consultative Council of the Ministry of Environment that will include representatives from business, economic, labor, science, and other groups from around the county.

Posting from Santiago, Chile: Environmental Issues Will be a Priority in Government Headed by President-Elect Sebastian Piñera

Sunday 17 of January, represented an historic date for Chilean history. After 20 years, the coalition currently in the government formed by the Christian Democratic Party, the socialist party, Radical Party, and Democratic Party was defeated by the Coalition for the Change formed by two parties that represent the center right: National Renovation Party, and the Democrat Independent Party.

The defeated coalition governed Chile since 1990. The first president was Patricio Aylwin (1990-1994), elected in the first democratic election since 1973. After that, assumed Eduardo Frei (1994- 2000). The third President was Ricardo Lagos (2000-2006), the first socialist since Salvador Allende’s election. The last president of this coalition is the current president Michelle Bachelet who will conclude her term on March 11.

The Coalition of Parties for the Democracy, official name for the Coalition in the power since 1990, did good governments. The coalition reached economic growth, social peace and maybe the most important legacy is the country’s democratization after 17 years of military government, but after 20 years is normal a weakening on the exercise of the power and a change is needed.

On January 17 the Chile’s people elected Sebastian Piñera as new President. He is one of the richest businessmen of the country, former Senator (1990-1998) and important politician since the first democratic government. He belongs to National Renovation Party, a center right party. His election entails that the center right wins its first democratic election since 1958 but should not mean a big change in the country’s future.

Chile has a clear direction committed with the democracy, social justice and economic development. In his first speeches as elected president Pinera has emphasized his recognition to the good labor done by the Coalition for the Democracy, but at the same time has pointed out the necessity of improving in many fields such as economic growth, poverty eradication, crime and corruption fight, and State’s management.

With respect to environmental issues, the new Government has not announced big changes. In the last days was promulgated the law that creates the Environment Ministry, an important signal that the environmental issues will be a priority topic in the next years. The new government will put special emphasis on topics such as: air and water pollution especially in the big cities, sustainable development, environmental courts, renewable energy incentives through taxation measures, emission reduction and civic participation on environmental issues.

--José Ignacio Henriquez
Santigo, Chile
LLM Graduate, December 2009

Bienvenido a los Estados Unidos: Presidents Michelle Bachelet and Barack Obama Meet in Washington,D.C., to Discuss Clean Energy

Presidents Michelle Bachelet of Chile and Barack Obama met yesterday at the White House to announce several clean energy-related projects.

President Obama said, "There is enormous interest both in the United States and Chile in how we can develop solar power and wind power and biofuels and a whole host of other clean energy strategies that will make the people of both countries more prosperous and less dependent on imported energy needs."

President Bachelet said, "We are really enthusiastic about clean energy as we share the idea that the [climate change] crisis should be responded to," and added, "Chile has great conditions for solar energy."

Mr. Obama was also lavish in his praise for Chile and his Latin American colleague, President Bachelet:

"I look to President Bachelet for good advice and good counsel in terms of how the United States can continue to build a strong relationship with all of Latin America. And I think the good progress that we began to make at the Summit of the Americas can be built on with some very concrete steps in the months and years to come. We consider Chile to be one of our most important partners in that process. And so I expect that in the months to come we'll be working very closely together."

Obviously, the relationship between the United States and Latin America has not always been a smooth one. But projects, such as the one the two presidents put into place yesterday, are ways in which strong and enduring bridges can be built between the north and the south.

Since 2000, nearly 35 Latin American lawyers have earned their LLM degrees here. They have added immensely to the diversity of our program and their contributions to all of us -- professors, fellow students, staff -- have been and continue to be remarkable. These graduates are among the leading environmental and natural resources professionals across the whole of Latin America.

Let us hope that the cordial meeting between Presidents Bachelet and Obama will mark the beginning of a new chapter in our relations with energy, the environment, and natural resources being the cornerstone of mutual respect and benefit for all. Energy, environment, and natural resources -- as we all know -- do not fall precisely along geographic lines. Our responses to these great challenges should not either.