Argentine provinces La Rioja and San Juan revive old border dispute

An old territorial dispute has resurfaced between two northwestern Argentine provinces, La Rioja and San Juan, concerning border limits established during a military dictatorship in 1968. La Rioja's provincial legislature recently approved a law to pursue its territorial claims, reigniting the long-standing disagreement.

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Our jurisdiction is not in question. The limits have been in effect for 57 years and Congress itself confirmed their validity in 2014. No province can change a border with its own law.

However, San Juan's governor, Marcelo Orrego, firmly rejected any review of the established boundaries. He asserted that the current limits have been in place for 57 years and were officially recognized by the national Congress in 2014. "Our jurisdiction is not in question. The limits have been in effect for 57 years and Congress itself confirmed their validity in 2014. No province can change a border with its own law," Orrego stated.

The contested areas hold significant value for both provinces. La Rioja's claim includes regions historically considered part of its jurisdiction, such as the Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley), a UNESCO World Heritage site renowned for its unique rock formations and paleontological importance, currently protected by San Juan within the Ischigualasto Provincial Park. Also in dispute is Cerro El Potro, a site crucial to the large-scale Vicuña copper mining project, which has previously faced objections from La Rioja.

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The law approved on Thursday seeks to reaffirm La Rioja's rights over territories historically comprised within its jurisdiction and strengthen the legal and institutional tools to defend provincial sovereignty in the border conflict with San Juan.

La Rioja's new law aims to reaffirm its rights over these territories and bolster its legal standing in the dispute. The province argues that the 1968 law unilaterally altered provincial borders without national congressional approval, causing territorial harm. In response, Governor Orrego called for unity among San Juan's political forces to "defend" the province's territory, resources, and symbols like Ischigualasto.

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We are not going to allow what is ours to be called into question: the territory, the resources, the future and symbols like Ischigualasto.