Indigenous leader Lorena Monroy urges land defense on Argentina's Pachamama Day

On August 6, Lorena Monroy, an indigenous leader from Catamarca Province, addressed the Day of Pachamama, calling the territory a living memory, community, and reciprocity. She warned against the accelerating foreign extraction, land grabbing and water privatization that threaten ancestral lands and the cultural identity of Argentine indigenous peoples.

Monroy urged citizens to take to the streets to protect the soil, water and sovereignty, emphasizing that the exploitation of land, water and culture harms both the environment and the people who depend on it. The protest highlighted the broader struggle of indigenous communities against latifundio, commodification of sacred sites and the violence of extractive projects.

The event was organized by Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir, linking the defense of the earth with the defense of human rights and the right to remain on ancestral territories.