Mendoza

Water protectors and environmental activists are meeting in Mendoza, Argentina, under the banner 'Abrazo de Mendoza' (Mendoza Embrace), in response to the growing criminalization of environmental defenders. The gathering brings together activists to denounce legal persecution and harassment faced by those defending water resources, and to coordinate resistance and mutual support among affected communities.

Academics at the National University of Cuyo (UNCuyo) in Mendoza, Argentina, are questioning three mining projects planned for Malargüe, warning they pose risks to glaciers, water resources and biodiversity. The department, in southern Mendoza province, sits near the Andes, where glacial and high-mountain ecosystems feed rivers relied on for agriculture and drinking water. The university's scrutiny adds an academic voice to ongoing debates over mining expansion in fragile Andean zones.