Synopsis: |
Finnish company Botnia built a cellulose plant in Fray Bentos, a small town in Uruguay. The plant is the first of many foreign factory projects planned in the Uruguayan territory, and the investment is the biggest ever in the whole country. Huge eucalyptus plantations, which produce wood for the plants, are changing both the landscape and the local people´s traditional source of livelihood—cattle raising. Rural Uruguay is changing into an industrial producer. Adapting to the new situation is easier for those who are employed. Instead of herding cattle, some of the local cowboys, gauchos, are occupied with horse polo games that are arranged to entertain Botnia´s engineers.
The Botnia cellulose plant is situated on the bank of the River Uruguay, which marks the border of Uruguay and Argentina. The plant provoked a conflict between two countries: Argentina accuses Uruguay of contaminating its territory. Local people on the Argentinean side of the river are organizing huge demonstrations against the Botnia plant. The Finns are seen as invaders, just like the Spaniards 500 years ago…
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