Indigenous communities in Argentina face land disputes and evictions

Indigenous communities across Argentina are reporting increased land disputes, evictions, and deforestation driven by agricultural and livestock expansion. In northern provinces such as Salta and Jujuy, the Wichi community of Lapacho 2 has denounced land clearing by companies including Desdelsur SA and the U.S.-based Seaboard Co. These activities impact traditional food sources, medicinal plants, and materials used for artisanal crafts.

Simultaneously, various communities including the Mapuche in Neuquén and the Mbya Guaraní in Misiones are facing state and judicial interventions. Activists argue these actions anticipate the effects of the proposed ‘Private Property Inviolability Law’. Although the legislation is still awaiting final approval in the Chamber of Deputies after receiving partial approval in the Senate, it seeks to expedite eviction processes through summary trials and allow for the early restitution of property to owners. Indigenous groups warn that this legal framework threatens their constitutional rights to communal land and ethnic pre-existence.