El Bolsón is the first municipality in Rio Negro to sign up to Milei’s Incentive Regime for Large Investments, a sweeping law that provides tax, legal and other incentives to multinational corporations for large projects in sectors such as mining, hydrocarbons, energy, forestry and tourism.
Mauro’s sister Moira, a leading Mapuche activist in Argentina, says the tactics used, including the confiscation of books, “recall the military dictatorship” – a reference to the brutal regime that lasted from 1976 to 1983.
But authorities in both provinces have stressed the criminal intent behind the fires, downplaying other factors such as the impact of increasing tourism, pine plantations or inadequate maintenance of the electricity infrastructure.
Soraya Maicoñio lives in Mallín Ahogado, a rural area in the Comarca Andina,a region of sparkling rivers, mountains, lakes and lush forests in Argentinian Patagonia.
At a press conference the following day, flanked by armed and masked special forces, Chubut’s minister of security and justice, Héctor Iturrioz, said they had prepared for an “armed confrontation” and “lethal traps”.
