Under Threat - Argentina

August 2005
Americans are buying up vast swathes of land in Patagonia, bringing in needed investment. But many locals are troubled by the scale of this sell off.

Overgrazing has turned much of Patagonia into wasteland. "The land has turned to desert," laments farmer Jorge Lemos. "Today, it's very cheap because there are no pastures." While few Argentineans can afford to leave the land to recover, foreign companies are moving in. "43% of land in our country is virtually in foreign hands," complains politician Marta Maffei. "They control the water, they change the course of rivers, they control access to our own natural beauties." But the government welcomes the new investment as a way of regenerating the region. And some investors are bringing in a new ecological outlook. One recently spent $1.7 million buying up land to turn into a national park.

Produced by ABC Australia
Distributed by Journeyman Pictures

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News & Politics

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[gaucharevolucionaria]

is ispanish, but wiht italian accent beacose we are desendent of many european peaple, but we are américan indian son too...sorry for my ingles, i dont not write very well your language, Saludos desde Argentina

[frugalite]

What a beautiful landscape,it's a shame yanks and westerners are buying it up cheap,shame on the past&present governments to allow this to happen.Calling George Soros a philanthropist is ridiculous he is a hedge fund hyena,profiting from the suffering of others in his business dealings,remember the 1993 UK pound crisis,he made a billion right there thru speculation.All his wealth comes from speculative dealings and he's even better today.Soros,turner buying land here makes me sick to my stomach

[321abuelo]

somos colonia...

[lucho1709]

ThankGod there's a law now on the congress to stop that shit!!! we gotta be carefully now for when the yankees will come for the water!

[subroto81]

The old ways of patagonia are slipping away??? WTF?? The old ways of sheep farming and European greed is what got patagonia in this mess in the first place. People never learn.

[ScotteDio]

American money help save parts of Patagonia, the problem most of River Plate Countries (Uruguay & Argentina) we love to protest and complain "yanquis" taking over, but its us that is "all talk" and we don't anything about it environment.

[MrSaggat]

@frugalite Not in present.

[V5ZST]

@vanagon555 spanish

[cierraredhead]

rio tinto work ethics are hidden they killed people in china. for big business. they own all mining places with a march on unions, there objective to run the world they are evel

[cardona89]

i´ve heard many europeans and americans not recognizing the language we speak. A french men who lives here explained it to me: we speak spanish but ... with italian accent. That´s why is difficult to recognize.

[keytoothed]

@vanagon555 Anda a la concha de la re-puta que te parió. That's the Spanish they speak.