Desert Thunder

An estimated 500 vehicles have head out towards the Atacama Desert, as the Dakar Rally entered Chilean territory Monday.

Last week the Supreme Court rejected a plea to ban the overland road race.

There are those who are concerns that the Dakar Rally irrevocably damages archaeological sites along its route, specifically the ancient geoglyphs and remnants of the Inca Trail.

The case was presented by the Archeologists Association in conjunction with other conservationist organizations and indigenous groups opposed to the rally.

They argued that the 500 gas-powered vehicles that run in the annual Dakar Rally were in violation of the N° 8 of Article 19 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to an environment “free of contamination.”

However, the Supreme Court unanimously overruled the complaint last Wednesday, after finding insufficient evidence to support the claim that the constitutional right had been violated.

The Director of the National Tourism Service, Javier Vergara, lauded the court’s decision, citing the Dakar rally as a crucial opportunity to promote tourism in Chile.