Rodrigo Mundaca

Chilean water rights activist fighting against water privatization

As founder of MODATIMA movement, Rodrigo Mundaca (born 1961) challenges Chile's water code that allows corporations to control 90% of water resources. His activism began in Petorca province where avocado plantations drain rivers, leaving residents with contaminated truck water.

Mundaca exposed "water hoarding" by agribusinesses in the 2018 documentary The Cow Who Sang a Song About the Future. He organizes illegal water reconnections for poor communities and campaigns for constitutional reform. Death threats from landowners forced him into hiding in 2020.

His efforts helped establish water as human right in Chile's new constitution draft. The 2022 Ramon Magsaysay Award recognized his innovative use of social media campaigns and legal strategies. Mundaca's struggle continues as courts still favor corporate water rights over community needs.