Argentina deregulates glacier mining amid corporate pressure, prioritizing extraction over Andean water security and indigenous rights

Indigenous communities in Argentina’s glacier regions, particularly the Mapuche and Kolla peoples, have long opposed mining in these areas due to their spiritual and subsistence ties to glaciers as water sources. Their traditional knowledge systems, which recognize glaciers as living entities (*apus*), are systematically excluded from policy debates, despite constitutional protections under ILO Convention 169 and Argentina’s 2010 Glacier Law. The deregulation prioritizes corporate access over indigenous land rights, violating the principle of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) enshrined in international law. This erasure reflects a broader pattern of epistemic injustice, where Western scientific and economic frameworks dominate over indigenous worldviews.

Argentina’s glacier mining deregulation echoes past extractivist cycles in Latin America, such as the 19th-century nitrate and copper booms in Chile and the 20th-century oil and soy expansions in Argentina, which left ecological and social scars. The 2010 Glacier Law, initially a progressive measure, was systematically weakened by corporate lobbying, mirroring how earlier environmental protections were rolled back during neoliberal reforms in the 1990s. Historical precedents show that short-term economic gains from mining often lead to long-term water scarcity and conflict, as seen in the Atacama Desert’s lithium mining disputes. This pattern suggests that Argentina’s current reform is part of a cyclical failure to break free from extractivist dependency.

Andean indigenous communities view glaciers as sacred (*apus*) and practice reciprocal water stewardship, contrasting with the Western commodification of nature. In contrast, Argentina’s deregulation aligns with global extractivist trends, such as Canada’s tar sands or Australia’s coal mining, where indigenous land rights are routinely overridden. Bolivia’s 2012 Law of Mother Earth, which grants glaciers legal personhood, offers a systemic alternative to Argentina’s deregulation, yet remains unmentioned in mainstream discourse. The Quechua concept of *sumak kawsay* (good living) emphasizes harmony with nature, a framework absent in Argentina’s policy debates.

Glaciers in the Andes are highly sensitive to mining activities due to their role as water towers for South America, with mining pollution (e.g., cyanide, heavy metals) accelerating melt rates and contaminating downstream water supplies. Studies show that mining in glacier regions disrupts albedo effects, increases black carbon deposition, and alters hydrological cycles, with cascading effects on agriculture and urban water systems. The scientific consensus warns that Argentina’s deregulation will exacerbate glacial retreat, already accelerated by climate change, with irreversible consequences for water security. Mainstream coverage ignores these mechanisms, framing the issue as a political rather than a scientific debate.

Glaciers have been central to Andean artistic traditions, from the Inca’s *qhapaq ñan* (road system) built to honor water sources to contemporary indigenous art that depicts glaciers as living beings. The deregulation of glacier mining erases this spiritual and cultural heritage, reducing sacred landscapes to economic assets. In contrast, Western artistic movements like land art or eco-art often critique extractivism, but these voices are marginalized in policy discussions. The spiritual dimensions of water, as seen in Hindu traditions (e.g., the Ganges as a goddess) or Māori cosmology (e.g., *mauri* of rivers), highlight the ethical void in Argentina’s policy choices.

Scenario modelling by hydrologists predicts that Argentina’s glacier mining deregulation could reduce water availability for 20 million people by 2050, triggering conflicts with Chile and Bolivia over transboundary rivers like the Colorado and Bermejo. The reform also risks undermining Argentina’s lithium export ambitions, as water-intensive mining could deplete aquifers critical for lithium extraction. Long-term economic models suggest that the short-term GDP gains from mining will be offset by healthcare costs from water contamination and agricultural losses. Alternative futures, such as integrated water governance or circular economy models, are systematically excluded from the debate.

Marginalized voices include indigenous leaders like the Mapuche’s Moira Millán, who has led protests against glacier mining, and rural farmers whose livelihoods depend on glacier-fed irrigation. Environmental scientists, such as those from the Argentine Institute of Snow Research (IANIGLA), warn of irreversible hydrological damage but are sidelined in favor of corporate-funded research. Women in affected communities, who bear disproportionate burdens of water scarcity, are rarely consulted despite their central role in water management. The deregulation also silences future generations, whose right to a livable planet is sacrificed for present-day profits.