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Original article: ¿Quiénes están detrás de los incendios forestales en la Patagonia Argentina? Las sospechas sobre inmobiliarias, forestales y extractivismo

Adjustment, Deregulation, and Business: Allegations of the Fires Sweeping Through Patagonia, Argentina

Lihuen Eugenia Antonelli, an environmental columnist and editor at La Izquierda Diario, has emphatically denounced that the wildfires affecting Argentina’s Patagonia are a precursor to a legislative reform package aimed at privatizing natural resources.

According to her statements, presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni has hinted at significant changes to key laws: the Land Law, the Forest Law, the Fire Management Law, and the Glacier Law, as part of the reforms negotiated under the so-called May Pact.

Antonelli, who also co-authored the book «The Lithium Fever in Extractivisms in Argentina,» argues that the government aims to facilitate real estate, forestry, and extractive business initiatives by capitalizing on the tragedy of burned forests and families who have lost everything. She accuses the administration of cutting budgets for firefighting teams, defunding prevention efforts, and subsequently vilifying the situation, all within a context of environmental deregulation benefiting a select few.

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The environmental analyst emphasizes that the relaxation of the Forest Law and the repeal of the Land Law—which limits foreign ownership of land to 15%—are crucial for unlocking territories to be handed over to large economic groups and foreign powers. She notes that nearly 13 million hectares are already foreign-owned, with the aim of displacing local communities, including the Mapuche, to advance these business interests.

Antonelli directly links these «environmental counter-reforms» with labor reform, arguing that they seek to discipline the working class to eliminate any social resistance against the exploitation of natural resources. She denounces that while fire-prevention programs are underfunded, vast sums are allocated to military equipment, such as the purchase of F-16 aircraft.

In light of this crisis, the columnist is calling for mobilization, urging the unification of labor and environmental struggles, blocking Congress, and demanding a general strike from the CGT to halt this reform package. She emphasizes that a legislative battle is imminent, with extraordinary sessions in the Senate starting on February 10 to discuss these projects.

Patagonia Under Attack

In alignment with these accusations, communicator Diego Suarez has also raised awareness on social media about the grave situation in Patagonia. We invite you to watch his video on Instagram, where he expands on this criticism with a powerful message: «Patagonia is on fire, natives accuse foreigners.»

See Instagram post

La entrada Who is Behind the Wildfires in Argentina’s Patagonia? Allegations Involving Real Estate, Forestry, and Extractivism se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.