Mendoza, Argentina, is facing a decisive week that could mark a turning point for the entry of extractivism and its consequences in the province. Federico Soria, a member of the Uspallata Assembly, one of those criminalized by the Cornejo government for opposing the installation of San Jorge mine, reported that two projects were dealt with in last week's session: one to grant the governor the power to reduce the already meager mining royalties, and another to create a fund with public money to cover the disasters caused by mining companies. He added that members of the assemblies were not allowed into the plenary to express their positions. In their statement, they demand, among other things, the definitive filing of the environmental impact file for the San Jorge project and call for the advancement of a law for the Uspallata-Polvaredas Protected Natural Area. Last Tuesday, neighbors and assembly members gathered at the Legislature under the slogan "We are all Uspallata." Cornejo, the first governor to meet with U.S. Ambassador Lamelas, does not hesitate to face social rejection against large-scale mining and accelerates the timeline for the projects to take their first step in the lower house. The Mendoza Assemblies for Pure Water (AMPAP) have once again denounced the maneuvers, calling for mobilizations in front of the Legislature, claiming that the project "has no administrative or legal basis" and that the "social license" invoked by the ruling party is an illusion. They held up signs reminding that the project did not go through truly independent public hearings, denounced opacity in the reports, and asked that history not be ignored: San Jorge was rejected before, in 2011. There is mining pressure to modify it, and it is one of the points agreed upon as a bargaining chip for the U.S. government to sustain the national government with dollars. This Tuesday, November 25, the Environmental Impact Statement (DIA) for the San Jorge project will be discussed in committees, and on Wednesday, the 26th, with the ruling party pushing hard, it could go to the floor for a vote. There, it was stated: "The Uspallata Polvaredas Law project that we created 16 years ago is still shelved." The original peoples also expressed their rejection and stated that there is no social license for these projects. The IANIGLA (a technical glaciology body) has already warned that it was not formally consulted for these changes and recalled that many glaciers would be left unprotected under the proposed reform. Now, with the advance of Milei's policies, the plan to extract copper and gold in the Uspallata valley could become a reality. After the approval of the 2026 budget, the Cornejo government is strongly pushing four key mining projects: the Environmental Impact Statement (DIA) for the San Jorge Project (PSJ Mendoza Copper), the one for the Western Mining District II in Malargüe, along with a Mining Royalties Law and an Environmental Compensation Fund. The official signal is clear: they want the bills to reach the floor "as soon as possible." It is a demonstration that the lobby controls the Mendoza Legislature. These projects are being approved in a matter of days behind closed doors. We remain on alert and in mobilization." In the midst of all this, another ghost reappears: Milei promises to repeal the National Glacier Law (Law 26.639), which protects glaciers and the periglacial environment as strategic water reserves. Large-scale mining could enter Uspallata. Cornejo assures that Mendoza is facing a new engine to diversify its economy and that mining can be that strategic engine, while promising that there will be good controls and that part of the royalties will go to environmental patrols, monitoring, and restoration. On Wednesday, neighbors and assemblies are calling for a rally in front of the Legislature "in defense of water."
