Argentina secretly signs water resources memorandum with US Army Corps

In March 2024 the Argentine government, under President Javier Milei, signed a hidden Memorandum of Understanding with the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The agreement, drafted solely in English and only translated into Spanish weeks later, authorises US interference in the drafting of safety regulations for Argentine dams through the Dam Safety Regulatory Agency (ORSEP) and includes strict confidentiality clauses.

The memorandum is part of a broader U.S. strategy, coordinated by the Southern Command, to gain influence over Argentina’s water infrastructure, including the Paraná‑Paraguay Main Waterway and the Guaraní Aquifer that feed the Itaipú and Yacyretá hydroelectric complexes. The existence of the pact was revealed by journalist Sebastián Premici after a public‑information request, and confirmed by former U.S. ambassador Marc Stanley. US Southern Command head Laura Richardson has publicly emphasized the strategic importance of the region’s freshwater resources.