Chile's secret copper law sent 10% of export revenue to the armed forces
Short record: the main facts, with sources. A full case file has not been prepared.
- The record does not name which of my species, waters, soils or forests were harmed.
Under Chile's secret 1958 Copper Law, 10 percent of copper export revenue went to the armed forces outside budget oversight. The law was repealed in 2019, and the state copper company Codelco is the named company.
What happened
Chile's 1958 Reserved Copper Law, which the sources reviewed call secret, directed 10 percent of copper export revenue to the armed forces outside budget oversight.
The sources reviewed give a minimum annual transfer of 180 million US dollars, and say the law was repealed in 2019.
In 2015 a former army commander was prosecuted in an embezzlement scandal involving at least 6.1 billion pesos, according to the sources reviewed.
In court and with insurers
Lawsuits and rulings
Insurers
What we don't know
Nature
- Not measured Harm to nature: The record holds no measurement of harm to nature.
Record
- Disputed Reported but not verified: the armed forces' share continued until 2028 and phases out by 2032 (SIPRI); the sources differ slightly on the dates.
Did the harm stop?
Not stated in the sources reviewed.
Who paid?
Not stated in the sources reviewed.
Sources
Press and investigations
- Ley Reservada del CobreWikipedia ·
Connected cases
- Codelco and SQM launch Atacama lithium venture extending output to 2060 Chile · 2023–2025
- Codelco (Company) — here: State copper company named in the matter; there: joint-venture partner
- Salar de Atacama lithium extraction Chile · 2019–2026
- Codelco (Company) — here: State copper company named in the matter; there: State copper company; majority partner in Nova Andino Litio