Historic feat to save the glaciers! Over 850 thousand signatures collected in Argentina against the reform that authorizes mines

Only a few weeks ago the Argentine Congress approved the reform of the glacier law proposed by the Milei government, effectively authorizing mining activity in the ecologically sensitive areas of the Andes. But now the people have their say.

More than 850 thousand people, in fact, joined a collective appeal aimed at stopping that reform. According to the environmental and social organizations that support the initiative, the regulatory change weakens the protection of glaciers and the periglacial environment, putting fundamental water resources for the country at risk.

The legal action was presented before the federal court of the province of La Pampa and requests the immediate suspension of the application of the new law throughout the national territory.

Among the promoters of the appeal are the Fundación Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (FARN), the Asociación Argentina de Abogados/as Ambientalistas (AAdeAA) and Greenpeace, who contest the constitutionality of the reform supported by the government of President Javier Milei and supported by the mining sector. And they are all convinced of one thing: the new legislation wants to effectively reduce the guarantees of environmental protection, opening the way for economic activities, particularly mining, in areas previously subject to protection.

And not only that: the criticisms also concern the legislative process that led to the approval of the reform. During the public hearings organized by the commissions of the Chamber of Deputies, over 100 thousand registered people were prevented from speaking orally and less than 0.2% of those registered had the opportunity to participate directly, transforming the hearing into a “participation simulation”.

The Argentine Association of Environmental Lawyers also denounced that the rules of the public consultation would have been modified after the opening of registrations, introducing criteria considered arbitrary for the acceptance of videos and written contributions.

On the merits of the reform, the organizations dispute the fact that the new text replaces shared scientific criteria with discretionary decisions entrusted to individual provinces on which areas to protect and which not.

This is not a technical update, but an attempt to fragment the protection of resources that belong to all Argentines, environmentalists said.

The protection of glaciers and the periglacial environment is considered strategic because these areas feed approximately 40% of national water basins and guarantee the supply of water to over 7 million people.

Meanwhile, in the province of Santa Cruz, the federal justice of Río Gallegos has already ordered the suspension of the application of the reform. Federal judge Claudio Marcelo Vázquez has upheld a precautionary measure in an environmental appeal, temporarily blocking any activity in protected areas affected by the new legislation.