The minister reassured that with this initiative "we were taking advantage of this rich territory and emphasized that the ministry of national property puts forward the state patrimony to the service of social policies, government reforms, tourism projects, real state, industrial "and in this case for the development of science and technology".

On the other hand, President Lagos emphasized the support to social projects that the community will receive in Toconao and San Pedro de Atacama. "I want to tell the communities that as well as being proud with what will be build here for the advancement of science we have to make sure that this progress will also mean that of the Atacameñas communities"

"The progress has to reach everybody and if today with this science and the knowledge of the universe will progress then we have to make sure that this is the moment to make sure that our compromise is with progress here on earth too", said the president, he also added that the world scientific community noticed another kind of richness of Chile apart from its clear and transparent skies". in this sense expressed that "when we look at this desert what we have here is a time machine to be able to watch and observe the first ages of universe and that is the challenge which begins to be built now and be ready by 2011 ".

Project and Concession

This huge astronomical project is backed up by the main centers of the world of this specially headed by the USA and Canada through the associated universities inc. (national USA's radioastronomical observatory) and 11 other countries that are part of the European organization for astronomical investigation of the southern hemisphere (ESO).

Further more the concession contract marks a milestone in the Chilean negotiations history with the big astronomical consortia of the world since it allows the execution of the project and at the same time the permanency of this valuable territorial patrimony in the hands of the state.

After a thorough evaluation of the ALMA's team- which means in English "Great Set of Atacama's Milimetric " - the flat lands of Chajnator were chosen as the best site for the world to install a highly precise 64 antenna's network, that simulate a 14 kilometers of diameter telescope, with a hundred times resolution (image quality) better than any other existing instrument. ALMA will produce images on milimetric waves, with a never achieved high sharpness from the cold and young universe. This wave will permit examining the stars, galaxies and planets' birthday, the surrounding cosmic dust and to examine the immense molecular clouds that are formed from them.

In the facilities there will be working 260 highly trained professionals. The project financing is assured in equal amounts by the USA (the National Science Foundation of USA and the Research Council of Canada) and by Europe (ESO)

The project will give annually 700 hundred thousand dollars and during the 50 years concession, to finance the local, regional and scientific development initiatives, at national level. On the one hand, a conssetional annual rent of 150 hundred thousand approx. will be paid, it is 65% will be for Regional National Development Funds (RNDF). From the remaining annual 550 hundred thousand dollars, two thirds will go to the development fund for the national astronomy, that will be administrated by Conicyt and the other third will be distributed locally fir the development of education and help project in the community of San Pedro de Atacama and the productive development of the Toconao native community.

The open invitation in the last few year by the national property ministry, is to join up to effort of do the best, to know and to enjoy our geography, it doesn't only spread the production frontiers of our economy. it also contributes to the country's effective decentralization, generating new activity's poles in the extreme region, where the state property concentrates