The national government published in the Official Gazette the decision to deliver more than 25,000 hectares of land to Mapuche communities in the province of Mendozaand the governor Rodolfo Suarez immediately raised his disagreement with the measure, and warned that he will go to court “to stop the determination” of the national authorities.
The territory is located to the south of the San Rafael department, and there are 21,000 hectares ceded to the Lof El Sosneado community, and another 3,500 hectares in the Malargüe department, ceded to Lof Suyai Levfv. The authorities of Mendoza they maintain that “It has not been determined if they are communities”, since they are not even registered in the National Registry of Indigenous Communities (ReNaCI)they assure.
According to a report prepared by the Ministry of Environment and Territorial Planning of Mendozawithin these areas are several unconventional oil wells, which are part of the Mendoza side of the Vaca Muerta formation. According to the Mendoza president, “a million-dollar investment by YPF is being developed there.”
Suarez denounced that there is “political intention” of the Frente de Todos to “harm Mendoza”, and anticipated that he will present the corresponding claims before the National Institute of Indigenous Affairs (INAI) and the complaints in justice.
The governor of Mendoza understands that “the situation is serious”, not only because he ceded an area full of provincial assets, he said, but also because exposes “the interests to dominate the resources of the place and stop the development of hydrocarbons, tourism, employment and projected investments”.