Argentina’s lower house of Congress voted early Thursday to authorize mining activity in ecologically sensitive glacier and permafrost regions. The bill, championed by President Javier Milei, passed with 137 votes in favor, 111 against, and three abstentions.
The legislation serves as an amendment to the 2010 Glacier Law. It aims to facilitate the extraction of copper, lithium, and silver within the Andes mountains. The measure will take effect once it appears in the official gazette.
Economic expansion vs. environmental protection
President Milei argues that the reforms are essential to bolster the national economy and attract large-scale investment. The Central Bank currently projects that Argentina could triple its mining exports by 2030, a vital goal for a country seeking to expand its role in the global lithium market.
"Environmentalists would rather see us starve than have anything touched," Milei said previously regarding opposition to his resource policies. He has frequently expressed skepticism toward the consensus on man-made climate change.
Supporters within the ruling La Libertad Avanza party argue the reform clears up legal ambiguities that have stalled development. Nicolas Mayoraz, an MP for the party, told lawmakers that "combining environmental protection and sustainable development is possible."
Scientific and environmental groups strongly disagree. Critics warn that the law threatens critical water sources in an area where glacial reserves have shrunk by 17 percent over the last decade, according to data from the Argentine Institute of Snow Science, Glaciology and Environmental Sciences.
"The science is clear," said environmental activist Flavia Broffoni following a protest outside parliament. "There is absolutely no possibility of creating what they call a 'sustainable mine' in a periglacial environment."
The legislative session followed a day of unrest in Buenos Aires. Thousands of protesters gathered outside the parliament building to voice their opposition, carrying signs reading, "Water is more precious than gold!"
Police arrested seven Greenpeace activists earlier in the day after they scaled a statue near the building. The protesters unfurled a banner urging lawmakers to reject the bill, which they characterized as a betrayal of the public interest.
