In a global context marked by the climate and ecological crisis, the General Prosecutor’s Office of Córdoba, led by Juan Manuel Delgado, created the Office of Environmental Issues and Animal Rights, an entity that strengthens the institutional response to environmental issues and animal protection.
This measure is part of the active participation of the Public Prosecutor’s Office (PPO) in national and Latin American environmental prosecution networks.
Territorial and normative jurisdiction: a comprehensive legal tool
The office will act throughout the province and address contraventional and criminal acts related to the environment and animal rights.
The new office will have provincial jurisdiction and will address cases of collective environmental damage, animal abuse, and cruelty, both at the contraventional and criminal levels. Among the laws included are:
- Law 14,346 on animal abuse
- Law 22,421 on wildlife conservation
- Law 24,051 on hazardous waste
- Law 25,612 on industrial waste
- Law 27,330 prohibiting dog races
- Law 26,912 on animal doping
- Articles of the Criminal Code related to environmental variables
Four work axes: specialization, technical support, training, and coordination
The office will operate as an environmental reporting unit, technical support unit, training space, and interinstitutional nexus.
- Environmental Reporting: analysis and channeling of environmental and animal protection submissions
- Technical Support: support for ongoing investigations in prosecution offices, judicial units, and territories
- Training and Capacity Building: data generation, systematization, and institutional strengthening
- Interinstitutional Coordination: agreements with state and non-state organizations to optimize prosecution management
Ecological justice and animal protection: an ethical and preventive approach
The office recognizes the intrinsic value of animals and their role in ecosystem balance.
The creation of this office also responds to the need to recognize animal sentience, prevent abuse and exploitation, and preserve biodiversity. Protecting animals implies:
- Recognition of emotions and suffering
- Ecological and functional value in ecosystems
- Promotion of empathy and ethical education
- Prevention of abuse and normative strengthening
A fiscal policy with regional projection
Córdoba positions itself as a reference in environmental and animal justice in Latin America.
The participation of the PPO in the Argentine Network of Environmental Prosecutors and in the Congress of Environmental Public Prosecutors of Latin America reinforces Córdoba’s commitment to proactive, specialized, and coordinated fiscal justice, capable of responding to the challenges of the climate and ecological crisis.
