Argentina faces widespread interprovincial territorial and resource disputes

Argentina faces significant interprovincial disputes regarding territorial boundaries, natural resources, and economic rights. According to records from the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation, approximately 110 interprovincial legal cases are currently in progress. A major driver of these conflicts is that only 14% of provincial boundaries have been officially established by laws passed by the National Congress, leaving 86% to be governed by a complex web of colonial decrees, historical arbitral awards, and military-era decrees.

Key disputes include the management of the Atuel River between La Pampa and Mendoza, which has required repeated intervention by the Supreme Court to ensure minimum water flows for environmental and human consumption. Other notable conflicts involve sovereignty over islands between Entre Ríos and Santa Fe, mineral-rich lands in Salta and Jujuy, and lithium deposits between Salta and Catamarca.

While the National Constitution mandates that such disputes be resolved by the Supreme Court to prevent civil unrest, many cases remain stalled in the legislative or judicial systems, involving strategic interests in water, mining, energy, and logistics.