Disinformation Narratives in the San Matías Gulf

The document analyzes a 'cross-cutting disinformation network' involving corporations, the provincial government of Río Negro, and regional media to legitimize the Vaca Muerta Oil Sur (VMOS) project. It details how the repeal of Law 3308, which had protected the San Matías Gulf for over twenty years, paved the way for a 400 km pipeline and an oil port. The study identifies a pattern of 'Pink Slime' journalism, where newly created digital outlets with low organic reach use paid advertising to simulate social consensus and frame fossil fuel expansion as essential for regional development and public welfare, while omitting socio-environmental risks.

• The Vaca Muerta Oil Sur (VMOS) project involves constructing a pipeline over 400 km long from Añelo (Neuquén) to Punta Colorada (Río Negro), alongside a petroleum port and two liquefied natural gas (LNG) export vessels.
• The legal protection of the San Matías Gulf was dismantled in September 2022 when the Río Negro Legislature repealed Law 3308, which had prohibited hydrocarbon activities in the region since 1999.
• A coordinated disinformation strategy uses 'corporate omission' by YPF and 'media amplification' by regional outlets to frame extractivism as synonymous with national pride and development.
• The Government of Río Negro promotes the project through narratives of economic well-being and political legitimacy, despite an opaque agreement where the province receives USD 1 billion over 13 years against an investment of several billions.
• The province's adherence to the Large Investment Incentive Regime (RIGI) creates a 30-year legal shield that prevents the State from modifying tax conditions or introducing new levies for companies receiving benefits.
• Analysis of the regional media ecosystem reveals the emergence of 'Pink Slime' networks: newly created digital outlets (such as Tiempos Australes, Pulso Sur, and Agarrá la Pala Río Negro) that use paid ads to achieve massive reach despite having very few organic followers.
• Between June 2024 and September 2025, twelve investigated digital outlets published approximately 200 paid posts, spending between 3.5 and 4.2 million Argentine pesos to generate 10.6 to 12.5 million impressions.
• The narrative of 'progress under control' is contradicted by environmental data from Vaca Muerta, where at least 2,049 environmental incidents, including spills and leaks, were recorded in 2021.

APA

Di Giacomo, F. (2025). Disinformation Narratives in the San Matías Gulf. Roots. https://poweredbyroots.org/media/pages/highlights/fellowship-for-countering-disinformation/1e81db954d-1781746682/argentina-case-study.docx.pdf

Chicago

Di Giacomo, Fabricio. Disinformation Narratives in the San Matías Gulf. Roots, 2025. https://poweredbyroots.org/media/pages/highlights/fellowship-for-countering-disinformation/1e81db954d-1781746682/argentina-case-study.docx.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Di Giacomo |first1=Fabricio |title=Disinformation Narratives in the San Matías Gulf |publisher=Roots |date=November 2025 |url=https://poweredbyroots.org/media/pages/highlights/fellowship-for-countering-disinformation/1e81db954d-1781746682/argentina-case-study.docx.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{digiacomo2025disinformation, author = {Di Giacomo, Fabricio}, title = {{Disinformation Narratives in the San Matías Gulf}}, institution = {Roots}, year = {2025}, month = nov, url = {https://poweredbyroots.org/media/pages/highlights/fellowship-for-countering-disinformation/1e81db954d-1781746682/argentina-case-study.docx.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }