Argentina’s congress has approved a bill promoted by libertarian president Javier Milei that authorises mining in ecologically sensitive areas of glaciers and permafrost, prompting outrage from environmental groups.
The measure is an amendment to the country’s so-called glacier law, which had already cleared the senate in February. It is expected to make it easier to extract metals from frozen areas of the Andes mountains, including copper, lithium and silver.
The legislative change marks a significant shift in how Argentina may allow activity in high-altitude environments that have long been protected because of their environmental importance. Supporters of the bill, aligned with Milei’s economic agenda, have pushed for greater access to mineral resources in parts of the Andes where extraction has been more restricted.
Environmentalists have strongly opposed the move, arguing that opening glacier and permafrost zones to mining could put fragile ecosystems at risk. The approval has therefore set up a new confrontation between the government and conservation advocates over the future of one of the country’s most sensitive natural regions.
The bill now moves the debate beyond parliament and into the wider public sphere, where concerns about water, climate and habitat protection are likely to remain central. For critics, the amendment represents a weakening of safeguards around areas that help sustain mountain environments. For the government and its allies, it is part of a broader effort to unlock mineral wealth and encourage investment.
Argentina’s glacier law has been a key point of environmental regulation, and changing it is likely to have consequences far beyond the mining sector. With copper, lithium and silver mentioned as target minerals, the law also intersects with growing international demand for resources used in industry and energy transition technologies.
The approval of the bill follows the senate’s earlier backing in February and confirms that the libertarian president has succeeded in advancing one of his administration’s priorities. But the reaction from environmentalists suggests that the political and environmental controversy surrounding glacier mining is far from over.
As debate continues, attention will remain focused on how the amended law is applied and what it means for the frozen landscapes of the Andes, where mining prospects and ecological protection now appear to be in direct conflict.
