The activity was called: “After Fukushima. Europe says goodbye to Nuclear. What do we have to say?”. The event took place in an annex building of the Legislative Branch and was organized by Casa Bertolt Brecht, REDES – Friends of the Earth Uruguay, Programa Uruguay Sustentable, the Coordination of Energy Trade Unions and the workers trade union central of Uruguay, PIT-CNT.

Nearly 100 people attended the event.

The panel was made up by French MEP Catherine Greze, of the Green Party; her German counterpart Jurgen Klute of the Die Linke Party (the left), the secretary of the Green Party in the European Parliament, German Gaby Küpppers, Argentinean environmental activist Juan Carlos Villalonga, of Los Verdes-Foro de Ecología Política, and Uruguayan Senator Daniel Martínez.

The activity was aimed at raising awareness about nuclear energy production experiences in Europe and Argentina, and also to analyze what has been done and discussed in Uruguay on this issue.

Almost a million dollars from the 2011-2012 budget are destined to discuss the viability of a nuclear power central. The nucleoelectric generation is banned by law, although there is pressure from different sectors to repeal the law.

Environmental organization REDES – Friends of the Earth Uruguay believes that the seriousness of the nuclear crisis in Japan after the earthquake and tsunami of March 11, should be on the table during a debate on nuclear energy in Uruguay. They also claim that the law that forbids nuclear energy cannot be repealed while the issue is being analyzed.

The environmental organization rejects and denies the “myths” of the nuclear industry and its advocates. “The Fukushima catastrophe in Japan has definitely proved that the arguments used by the supporters of nuclear energy: that it is clean, safe and cheap, were all lies”, said environmental activist Leonard Mattioli of REDES – Friends of the Earth Uruguay, in a press release of the organization.

Mattioli highlighted the insecurity of nuclear energy is evident and called the attention over “the threat of radioactivity”. He expressed concern over the risks posed by the nuclear industry “on life and food production”.

In the press release, REDES – FoE defends renewable energies, which have been promoted by the Uruguay government. In fact, 50% of the country’s energy will be based on renewables by 2015.

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