2024-01-12 03:30:00
In a demonstration of unity and presenting itself as the block that represents “more than half of the dollars generated by exports” in Argentina and the producers of 90% of the gas and oil, the governors of Patagonia planted the flag yesterday from Villa La Angostura to stop the unconsulted changes by President Javier Milei in hydrocarbon activity and everything that affects regional resources.
Rolando Figueroa was the host of the meeting at the official residence of the province of Neuquén, in the El Messidor palace, which has Lake Nahuel Huapi and a dense forest at its feet that allowed the leaders to debate in isolation, for more than two hours, the axes of the League of Patagonian Governorsa reissue of the group with new faces, all of them in office since December 10.
Figueroa gathered his peers in the exclusive French palace Alberto Weretilneck from Río Negro, Ignacio Torres from Chubut, Sergio Ziliotto from La Pampa and Gustavo Melella from Tierra del Fuego. Claudio Vidal, the governor of Santa Cruz, was absent, whom they only mentioned to indicate that he was in the group “working side by side,” but he might not attend due to scheduling problems. However, the background of this absence would be linked to particular efforts of interest to his province that the Santa Cruz native initiated with President Milei himself during his stopover in Río Gallegos last week, while traveling to Antarctica.
The governors arrived with draft documents and with the premise of putting the focus in this first meeting on the hydrocarbon activity, of maximum interest to the host Figueroa, and in the points of the Omnibus Law and the DNU that would modify fundamental aspects for the provinces, mainly the concessions and announced that they will have periodic meetings to continue combining criteria on different issues with “federalism” and “regional integration” as a flag.
Bluntly, Figueroa announced in his first intervention before the press that the five governors decided call a meeting of the Federal Organization of Hydrocarbon Producing States (Ofephi)which all of them make up along with Santa Cruz, Mendoza, Salta, Jujuy and Formosa, to next Wednesday at 3 p.m. at the headquarters of the Federal Investment Council of Buenos Aires.
BLACK RIVER might know that The intention of the governors is to analyze next week each point of the regulations promoted by Milei that will affect hydrocarbon activity and present your own writing proposal to elevate the national government, possibly through the Minister of the Interior, Guillermo Francos.
Figueroa said that it is important that “the opinion of the Patagonian provinces and the provinces that make up Ofephi be taken into account. We want the decisions that are made to be validated by this organization,” he stated at a press conference, following two and a half hours of the closed-door meeting with the governors.
“With the same force that we came out with the Fisheries Law, the Patagonian governors who provide more than 90% of the country’s hydrocarbonsWe ask Congress not to advance anything without working with the provinces and Ofephi“said Melella, who promised to also call the presidents of the Senate and Deputies blocs to the debate to make the position of the oil provinces clear.
“We will tirelessly defend the rights of our provinces, with a constructive spirit (…) That is why we come to observe in the bill aspects that necessarily have to be reviewed.”
The Patagonians will promote changes in “more than 30 articles” that the Omnibus Law project alters the hydrocarbon legislation and places the national Executive as the enforcement authority. They insisted – in a joint statement – that “although the design of energy policies at the federal level continues to be the responsibility of the National Executive Branch, it is the provinces that hold the exercise of original domain and administration over the hydrocarbon deposits in their territories.” .
Figueroa also left a message to companies indicating that the provinces must have a “very active participation” in the negotiation of contracts not only in Vaca Muerta but also to “generate opportunities” in mature deposits. “Let companies know that we are working throughout Patagonia to develop Patagonia”he claimed.
The man from Neuquén said that he does not accept the “lobbying power” of the oil companies and said he is convinced that non-renewable resources that “will not be in demand once more in 20 or 30 years have to serve to generate the transformation of our productive, economic and social matrix.” ”.
- 90%
- of the gas and oil produced in Argentina comes from the Patagonian region, according to the governors.
The governors They expect their point of view to have a “binding” decision and manage to change several aspects of the reforms proposed by Milei, although Weretilneck from Rio Negro was sincere in admitting that they are “bewildered” by the new government’s way of doing politics. “There is a lack of clarity in the national government regarding what negotiation tools there are for everything it has put on the table,” he stated and alluded to the parliamentary minority of libertarians who should force them to “dialogue” and “consensus,” although for the At the moment they see no signs.
Weretilneck later told this newspaper that there are commitments to changes in hydrocarbon matters due to issues raised by Figueroa, such as the power of concessions, but for now the modified text is not there. The same with the changes in the Fishing Law.
Figueroa, on the other hand, was publicly more moderate and considered that it was a “mistake” in the writing and trusted the changes committed by the Secretary of Energy, Eduardo Rodríguez Chirillo.
“We have different origins, ideological differences, but the defense of Patagonia is the transversal thread.”
Sergio Ziliotto, governor of La Pampa that is part of the Patagonian bloc.
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