Sturzenegger defends controversial land ownership chapter after Senate setback

Argentina's Minister of Deregulation and State Transformation, Federico Sturzenegger, defended the controversial chapter on foreign land ownership after it was removed from a key government bill in the Senate.

Sturzenegger, a key architect of the legislation, expressed regret over the withdrawal of the land ownership provisions, which he characterized as a choice "between fear and prosperity." He took to social media platform X to link the potential benefits of relaxed land ownership rules to a recent $250 million infrastructure investment agreement signed by San Juan Governor Marcelo Orrego with the mining company Vicuña.

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It was a choice between fear and prosperity.

"Congratulations, Marcelo Orrego. They vilified the changes to the Glaciers Law that today spill prosperity. Perhaps there is no awareness that the land law chapter would have allowed the same, but throughout the country," Sturzenegger stated, implying that the removed provisions could have spurred similar investments nationwide.

The government faced internal criticism following the setback in Congress. Allies in the Senate, including senators aligned with governors from Salta, Tucumán, and Neuquén, withdrew their support for the articles modifying land laws to ease limits on the sale of productive land to foreign individuals and companies. This led to the ruling party conceding and removing the most controversial part of the private property bill before it proceeded to a vote.

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Congratulations, Marcelo Orrego. They vilified the changes to the Glaciers Law that today spill prosperity. Perhaps there is no awareness that the land law chapter would have allowed the same, but throughout the country.