The surprise resignation of Conama executive director Gianni López has rekindled debate over the future of Chile’s lead environmental agency, which this month celebrates its tenth anniversary. López, forced out last month by officials close to President Ricardo Lagos, is the second Conama head to leave under criticism during the center-left Lagos government. His detractors claim he became overly involved in technical issues, neglecting the political work needed to advance the administration’s environmental legislation in Congress. So far, no Conama head has stayed in office for the full six years of a presidential administration. During the 1994-2000 term of President Eduardo Frei, Conama had three executive directors, two of whom resigned under political pressure. López’s replacement, former Lands Ministry Undersecretary Paulina Saball, is known... [Log in to read more]