Extreme Cold: Concern in a Santa Cruz Region After Heavy Snowfall

Extreme cold and heavy snowfall in Argentina's Santa Cruz province have created a challenging situation for many regions, leaving some areas blanketed in snow and ice. While some parts of the province have begun to thaw, others remain cut off, with rural roads becoming impassable, severely complicating access to ranches.

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The majority of the area has thawed. Here, in the south, in Río Gallegos, it thawed and there's water everywhere. In Puerto Deseado it rained. But in Las Heras and Perito Moreno it hasn't thawed and in the Río Mayo area, in Chubut, it's also complicated.

Livestock producers are expressing growing concern as low temperatures persist. The primary worries revolve around the ability to adequately feed their herds and the ongoing deterioration of the road infrastructure. Marcelino Díaz, a producer from Pampa Alta, noted that the snow began later than usual, with significant snowfall occurring about 20 days prior to the report, followed by another heavy fall just five days before.

Communication remains possible thanks to internet access, but the critical issue is the inability to travel on rural roads. Díaz highlighted that these roads are not being maintained, a problem that predates the current administration and is exacerbated by winter conditions. He pointed out that essential routes like Route 32 and Route 31 are in poor condition, and some roads haven't seen maintenance in over a decade.

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We have communication because now there is internet everywhere. What we don't have is access. The road is not passable, it doesn't exist. They don't maintain the roads.

While main national routes receive some upkeep, the internal provincial roads, crucial for local movement, are neglected. Producers attribute this to years of mismanagement and misappropriation of funds, with roads being paid for but never built or poorly constructed and maintained. The current administration is facing the consequences of these long-standing issues.

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They can't be asked for help because they don't have machines. They don't maintain the roads in the summer, much less in the winter. Route 32 doesn't exist, 31 in San Martín is destroyed and Route 1 hasn't had a machine pass for a year. In Pampa Alta, no machine has passed for 12 years and there's a broken cattle guard from 12 years ago.

For now, ranches have fodder reserves, but the challenge lies in reaching the animals to provide them with sustenance. The situation underscores the vulnerability of agricultural operations in remote regions to extreme weather and inadequate infrastructure.

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The roads have been like this for years. It's not all the fault of this governor, but of the mismanagement of funds from previous governments. Roads were paid for twice and never built. Even the few they built are destroyed today because no one controls the quality of the work. The problem is the state of the roads and the neglect.