Thanks to the support of the PRO, the UCR, and various provincial forces, the government managed to gather the necessary number to pass the regulation. The day was marked by the libertarian strategy of silence, the presence of Karina Milei, and the harsh criticisms from the opposition.
With an initial attendance of 129 deputies, the government reached the indispensable quorum to start the definitive sanction session. Besides the legislators from La Libertad Avanza (LLA), blocks such as the PRO, the UCR, Innovación Federal, Independencia, Elijo Catamarca, Adelante Buenos Aires, Por Santa Cruz, and representatives from the Unidos block collaborated for the quorum.
At the time of the final vote, the support was even broader. Past one in the morning, after an extensive day, the electronic board recorded 137 votes in favor against 111 against, consolidating the approval of the reform.
Although a later definition was expected, the debate flowed more smoothly than expected for the Government. In this scenario, the speakers from LLA decided to withdraw their interventions to speed up the process. “The votes are there, let them keep the speeches,” libertarian sources confided about the decision to prioritize the result over rhetoric.
The government’s confidence in the victory became evident around 10 p.m. with the arrival of Karina Milei, Secretary General of the Presidency, who took a seat in the gallery to oversee the final stretch of the legislative discussion.
The session’s start was loaded with requests for regulatory departures from the left and Unión por la Patria, which were rejected by the majority government. Among them, the request from Deputy Paula Penacca to question Manuel Adorni and the proposal from Maximiliano Ferraro on projects related to $Libra, both dismissed by the libertarian block and its allies.
The technical debate began with the presentation of José Peluc (LLA), who led the work in committees. The San Juan deputy defended the modification against opposition criticisms, accusing them of making a biased reading of the regulation. In tune, Nicolás Mayoraz argued that the project demonstrates that environmental protection and sustainable development are compatible to boost regional economies.
Deputies defending the Glacier Law
From the opposite side, the criticisms were sharp. Maximiliano Ferraro (Coalición Cívica) described the reform as regressive and unconstitutional, denouncing that the text was drafted by the mining companies themselves. Meanwhile, Miguel Ángel Pichetto (Encuentro Federal) defended the law in force since 2010, warning that the new regulation weakens the IANIGLA (technical-scientific body) and that there are no valid arguments for this change.
Finally, Deputy Juan Grabois rejected the initiative, describing it as a “poisoned law”, warning about the risks of mining in glacier areas and the potential contaminant impact on water resources.
After successive interventions from opposition blocks, and amid the strategic silence of LLA, the PRO, and the UCR, the vote proceeded, ultimately transforming the modification of the glacier protection regime into law.
