La minería y la violación de derechos humanos en Argentina

A statement by Friends of the Earth Argentina detailing the expansion of large-scale mining in Argentina and the subsequent repression of environmental activists and local populations who oppose the extractivist model.

• Since the 1990s, Argentina has shifted toward a large-scale mining model, facilitated by constitutional and legislative reforms that created a regulatory framework and tax haven for multinational companies. The 2004 National Mining Plan further accelerated this trend, resulting in over 600 active projects across the country, particularly threatening the Andes mountain range.
• The expansion of open-pit mining is cited as a violation of the fundamental right to water and the constitutional right to a healthy environment (Article 41 of the National Constitution). Specific large-scale projects mentioned include 'Bajo de la Alumbrera', which has operated for over 15 years, and the 'Agua Rica' project in Catamarca, which is estimated to be three times larger than Alumbrera.
• Environmental protests and road blockades have been met with police repression, including beatings and arrests, with the alleged approval of national and provincial governments. The document highlights the use of the Anti-Terrorist Law, approved on December 22, 2011, to criminalize and judicialize activists.
• The document records several specific incidents of repression in 2012: the detention of asambleístas in Santa María (January 26-27), the destruction of a camp in Belén and detention of 20 people including a 13-year-old (February 8), a violent police action in Tinogasta (February 10), and the violent eviction of a peaceful camp in Cerro Negro, Catamarca (July 20).
• Political leaders have been accused of delegitimizing environmentalists. Specifically, governors Luis Beder Herrera (La Rioja) and José Luis Gioja (San Juan) reportedly compared activists to the Nazi regime, while the president of the court in Catamarca, Dra. Amelia Sesto de Leiva, stated that prison is the only solution for environmentalists.

APA

Salvatico, N., & Martinez, D. (2012). La minería y la violación de derechos humanos en Argentina. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/es/la-mineria-y-la-violacion-de-derechos-humanos-en-argentina/

Chicago

Salvatico, Natalia, and Diego Martinez. La minería y la violación de derechos humanos en Argentina. Friends of the Earth International, 2012. https://www.foei.org/es/la-mineria-y-la-violacion-de-derechos-humanos-en-argentina/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Salvatico |first1=Natalia |last2=Martinez |first2=Diego |title=La minería y la violación de derechos humanos en Argentina |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=11 September 2012 |url=https://www.foei.org/es/la-mineria-y-la-violacion-de-derechos-humanos-en-argentina/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{salvatico2012minera, author = {Salvatico, Natalia and Martinez, Diego}, title = {{La minería y la violación de derechos humanos en Argentina}}, publisher = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2012}, month = sep, url = {https://www.foei.org/es/la-mineria-y-la-violacion-de-derechos-humanos-en-argentina/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }