A sweeping reform package introduced by the new government in Argentina is drawing criticism from conservation groups, who say new state programs and weakened regulations could endanger the environment. Congress passed the massive reform package this week to overhaul the country’s struggling economy. But conservation groups say many of its policies weaken protections for local and Indigenous communities and encourage accelerated investment in projects with a record of deforestation and pollution. “This is dangerous and concerning,” Manuel Jaramillo, head of the Wildlife Foundation in Argentina, told Mongabay. “It’s fair to think that in the context of climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental pollution, we should be creating legislation to protect the environment for everyone’s benefit. But [these reforms] are making it harder to confront those challenges.” The reform package establishes a one-year “public emergency” that grants the national government increased powers to act on economic, financial and energy matters. It also streamlines the development of large investment in infrastructure, oil and gas and the mining of copper and lithium, among other things. President Javier Milei, who took office in December, developed the package, known as the “omnibus law,” to resuscitate a floundering Argentine economy plagued by inflation and debt. A libertarian and outspoken climate change denier, he’s emphasized deregulation, privatization and austerity measures as vital to strengthening Argentina’s competitiveness. President Javier Milei speaks at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos. Photo courtesy of WEF. The original version of the bill, introduced soon after he took office, had more…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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