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We want San Roque Lake clean now!

At Fundeps we have been working since 2009 for the right to a healthy environment. We understand the environment from a comprehensive and broad perspective that includes the interaction between natural common goods and society. From this perspective, we are concerned about the province’s water, so in this note we will tell you chronologically about the actions we are carrying out in the search for solutions for a healthy San Roque lake.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

In 2020, we carried out a Situational Diagnosis of Córdoba’s Water Resources: Lago Los Molinos and Lago San Roque, with the aim of analyzing the state of the main basins in the province, fully understanding the problem and analyzing possible courses of action.

The San Roque Lake Basin is in an extremely serious situation due to its advanced state of eutrophication. This means: the proliferation of algae in fresh water as a result of an excess of nutrients, particularly phosphorus; this natural process is exacerbated during hot weather. The situation is mainly due to the lack of sanitation in the Punilla area, a deficient sewage system, lack of control over discharge authorization, degradation of the lake, fires, deforestation, among others. With this basis, we carry out negotiations with decision-makers with the aim of undertaking actions for its remediation.

The pollution of the San Roque Basin not only puts at risk the health of people who are directly or indirectly in contact with the basin, but also affects the quality of life, the landscape, regional economies and the biological diversity of the province.

As we did not receive any positive responses from the provincial administration and as a last resort, in November 2022 we filed a Collective Environmental Protection action suing the Province, the communes and municipalities that make up the San Roque Lake Basin, the Provincial Administration of Water Resources of the Province of Córdoba (APRHI), the Ministry of Public Services of the Province of Córdoba, and the Secretariat of the Environment of the Province of Córdoba (now Ministry). Check out the timeline of the case here.

In the writ of amparo we ask the courts, among other measures, to gradually cease polluting activities such as dumping hazardous waste, sewage, and industrial waste; to order the defendants to build, complete, or expand the necessary sewage works, and to create an autonomous and self-sufficient River Basin Committee, made up of the various stakeholders in the river basin. We also request various precautionary measures such as the suspension of any authorization to carry out untreated dumping, the creation of a temporary management plan, and the design of a risk communication plan, among others.

In March 2023, the Third-Party Administrative Litigation Chamber partially admitted the requested precautionary measure and ordered the Government of Córdoba to prepare and present a provisional Sanitation and Sustainable Development Plan within 60 days.

The province appealed this resolution and simultaneously presented a plan that does not comply with the resolution. The plan presented has serious deficiencies: it does not stipulate deadlines, budget, or agencies in charge of execution. In addition, it is a plan that greatly exceeds the limits of the precautionary measure since it was designed to be executed within a period of 15 years. We at Fundeps made various observations. To date, the intervening Chamber has not yet issued a ruling. We consider that the design of an environmental management program of such impact and temporal extension, which involves present and future generations linked to the San Roque Basin, must necessarily be designed in dialogue with the population and that the future of the basin cannot be decided in the limited period of 60 days.

Currently, the judicial process is still ongoing and in the meantime the province, the Ministry of Environment and the Basin Authority (created in November 2023 by law 10,941) are carrying out insufficient cleanup actions: they are the same ones that have been carried out for years and that have not prevented the current contamination situation.

In the face of the summer season, with very high temperatures, thousands of hectares recently burned and a deep drought, we believe that it is time to demand actions that lead to different results that transform the management of the basin and promote real change. It is a key moment to request citizen participation in the design, execution and implementation of public policies aimed at the sanitation of the basin.

 

Your participation is key to achieving the cleanup of the basin. SIGN HERE!

 

Contact

María Laura Carrizo, lauracarrizo@fundeps.org

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(Re)ordering the territory: Escazú and citizen participation

In an effort to promote the effective implementation of the Escazú Agreement at the local level, Fundeps held three meetings during the month of August, aimed at the Urban Planning Department of the Municipality of Córdoba. These training sessions focused on strengthening competencies in environmental law and the rights of access to information, participation and environmental justice, essential for sustainable urban planning.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

The target audience of these meetings were members of the Secretariats of Urban Development, Regional Integration and Institutional Linkage, and Smart City of the Municipality of Córdoba. The main objective was to provide the necessary tools to understand and apply the Escazú Agreement in the urban planning policies and practices of the city.

The first two workshops focused on theoretical and specific aspects of minimum budget laws and the Escazú Agreement. For the last meeting, we placed special emphasis on citizen participation. During this session, we explored various models of successful citizen participation, both at the national and regional level, highlighting practical examples that have been implemented in different cities in our country, as well as in Latin American countries and localities in Europe.

We proposed discussions on cases where active citizen participation has resulted in significant improvements in urban planning and management, highlighting how these inclusive processes can be adapted to our city. In addition, we analyzed the tools and mechanisms available to facilitate citizen participation in decision-making, emphasizing the importance of transparency, effective communication, clear language and building trust between municipal authorities and citizens.

We continue to work for the full and effective implementation of the Escazú Agreement at the local level. The Agreement is a fundamental tool for the protection of the environment and of human rights defenders in environmental matters.

If you want to learn more about the Escazú Agreement, visit our website: https://acuerdodeescazu.org/

 

Authors

Lourdes Zanotti

Federico Marengo Ligoria

Contact

María Laura Carrizo, lauracarrizo@fundeps.org

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Marcos Juárez’s health remains at risk: statement on fumigation protection

The provincial justice decided to consider that the protection initiated by residents of Marcos Juárez and Fundeps had not been presented due to errors related to the formalities of the process that were corrected at the time of being requested. The underlying issue, which is the distance for the application of agrochemicals within the municipal ejido, remains undiscussed, since the current ordinance is not complied with. This resolution affects access to justice and the rights to health and a healthy environment in the community.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

In November 2023, from Vecinos Autoconvocados de Marcos Juárez and Fundeps we presented an environmental protection with the aim of increasing the distances between populated areas and the application of agrochemicals, due to the effects that these cause on community health. This judicial step was taken after having made various claims and requests for dialogue with local authorities, and not finding appropriate responses.

After the presentation of the amparo, the Civil, Commercial, Labor and Family Chamber of Marcos Juárez began the process, ordering its publication and requesting the Municipality of Marcos Juárez to answer the lawsuit. On that occasion, the Municipality pointed out errors related to the format of the presentation of the amparo document, which later resulted in a judicial resolution that decided to have it as not presented. This formatting error was due purely and exclusively to the way in which the neighbors’ signatures were placed in the electronic file, and was immediately corrected through ratification. Furthermore, the people who signed made themselves available to the Court to ratify the protection in person and leave no room for doubt about their intention to continue with the process. However, these efforts were not considered by justice.

It was just a question of forms. The court did not provide a ruling on the underlying content of the protection, which is the distances in the application of agrochemicals, nor did it give an opinion on the technical information provided that shows the existence of damage to the health of the population, particularly children, girls and adolescents.

The judicial action, in short, is based on the concerns that we have had for many years as residents of Marcos Juárez who see our health affected, due to the non-compliance and ineffectiveness of the current legislation, and we have decided to seek a response, with the support from Fundeps, an organization from Córdoba that has been working for 15 years promoting rights and accompanying affected communities throughout the province.

This decision seriously affects the right of access to justice in environmental matters of the Marcos Juárez community, since there was no discussion about the use of agrochemicals or their impact on health and the environment. This type of resolution goes against the precautionary principle that must prevail in any environmental process, where measures must not only be proposed to eliminate environmental damage, but also minimize the possibility of its continued occurrence.

We reaffirm that our fight for an environment free of pesticides is still standing and stronger than ever. Our commitment to a healthy environment for the entire population of Marcos Juárez is unwavering.

We will continue working hard to guarantee an environment free of contaminants and pesticides, based on the constitutional principles that support us.

 

More Information:

 

Contact:

María Laura Carrizo, lauracarrizo@fundeps.org

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Organizations reject the president’s speech in favor of the exploitation of natural resources without considering the environmental dimension

The signatory organizations here express our deepest rejection of the speech by the President of the Nation, Javier Milei, on the occasion of the signing of the so-called May Pact, in which he urged provincial governments to advance in the exploitation of natural resources without contemplating the environmental dimension nor the demands of local communities and civil society organizations.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

The president’s words and the text signed by the provincial authorities (point 7) go against the constitutional mandate, which guarantees all Argentines the right to a healthy, balanced environment suitable for human development, and which establishes the duty of the authorities to provide for the protection of this right, the rational use of natural resources, the preservation of natural and cultural heritage and biological diversity and environmental information and education.

The president publicly states that promoting the development of productive activities without any type of environmental control and regulation will result in the generation of wealth; a premise already surpassed more than fifty years ago throughout the world due to the negative impacts that the destruction of ecosystems generates on the quality of life of the population, and the way in which it obstructs the productive development of nations. The uncontrolled exploitation of natural resources generates more poverty and demands more resources from the State to alleviate the social and environmental crises it causes.

The president’s statements also imply a world that no longer exists. The country’s insertion into the international scenario implies greater responsibility in social and environmental terms, due to the requirements and obligations established in bilateral agreements and multilateral treaties and the requirements to access membership of groups of countries. It is not possible to think about the development of a country today without considering the social and environmental footprint of the use of the goods that it offers to the world.

The May Pact signed in the Historic House of Independence in Tucumán must mark a path in favor of harmony and national unity and put aside unnecessary enmities. Unfortunately, the mention of “noisy minorities” and the classification of environmental organizations as adversaries of progress marks the wrong direction in this regard.

Environmental defenders in the territories play a key role in the protection of soil, water, biodiversity, native forests, glaciers, wetlands, rivers, the sea, peatlands, aquifers, mountains, landscapes , cultural values ​​and nature. Without these ecosystems, without the environment, there is no possible progress.

Likewise, environmental organizations have had and have a leading role in the creation of new National Parks, nature reserves and protected areas, thus collaborating in the conservation of our natural and cultural heritage. Furthermore, non-governmental organizations are legitimate components of civil society in modern democracies around the world.

40 years after democratic recovery and 30 years after the last constitutional reform, Argentina needs a social and environmental pact. But not just any pact, but one that proposes living in harmony with nature and that leads us to true development, that contemplates present generations and also future generations that will inherit our country and our planet.

In this framework, we demand that the national and provincial authorities guarantee that all Argentines have their constitutional right to a healthy environment, that current environmental regulations be respected and applied, and that access to information and citizen participation in environmental matter.

 

Organizaciones firmantes:

  • Agencia de Cooperación para el Desarrollo
  • Ahora qué?
  • Alianza x el Clima
  • AsAE
  • Asociación Ciudadana por los Derechos Humanos
  • Asociación para la Conservación y el Estudio de la Naturaleza
  • Asociana
  • Aves Argentinas
  • Banco de Bosques
  • CAUCE (Cultura Ambiental Causa Ecologista)
  • CeDePesca
  • CeIBA (Centro de Investigación del Bosque Atlántico)
  • CEPPAS (Centro de Políticas Públicas para el Socialismo)
  • Circulo de Políticas Ambientales
  • Comunidad Verde
  • Conciencia Solidaria
  • Consciente Colectivo
  • Ecohouse
  • FARN (Fundación Ambiente y Recursos Naturales)
  • FSAC
  • Fundación Ambiente y Medio
  • Fundación Avina
  • Fundación Biodiversidad Argentina
  • Fundación Cambio Democrático
  • Fundación Hábitat y Desarrollo
  • Fundación Mil Aves – Córdoba
  • Fundación Patagonia Natural
  • Fundación Protestante Hora de Obrar
  • Fundación Somuncura
  • Fundación Yuchan
  • Fundeps
  • Futuro
  • IIED-AL (Instituto Internacional de Medio Ambiente y Desarrollo IIED-América Latina)
  • Instituto de Conservación de Ballenas
  • Isla Verde – Sembrando conciencia
  • Jóvenes por el Clima
  • Laudato Si – Ecología integral
  • Los Verdes
  • Natura Argentina
  • PEM (Por El Mar)
  • Plurales
  • Proyectar ONG
  • Proyecto Quimilero
  • Red Agroforestal Chaco Argentina
  • Red de Mujeres en diálogo ambiental
  • RUCC
  • SAREM
  • Somos Red – agroecología y cooperación
  • Surfrider – Foundation Argentina
  • Sustentabilidad Sin Fronteras
  • UICN – Comité Nacional Argentina
  • Unidos por Nuestras Acequias
  • Viento Sur – Zapala
  • WCS Argentina
  • Wetlands International
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We present the website “Escazú for communities”: a tool to defend the environment

We launched the web platform “Escazú Agreement for communities”, which provides information about the Agreement and the rights it contemplates with data and practical models to make them effective. Additionally, within the site, a document is available to download that brings together the experiences and learnings of different communities in Córdoba that face environmental problems and have been fighting for years.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

The Escazú Agreement is the first environmental treaty in the region on Access to Information, Public Participation and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean. It is also the first treaty in the world to contain provisions related to the protection and promotion of the work carried out by human rights defenders in environmental matters.

At Fundeps, we have been accompanying the process of the Agreement since before its approval in 2018, due to the central role it plays in strengthening environmental democracy and climate justice. Within the framework of this process, when it came into force in Argentina we launched a Resource of the Escazú Agreement and a Guide on Access to Environmental Information. Then, we carried out a training cycle on access to public environmental information and an introduction to Escazú, and in 2023, as part of the project called “Escazú Agreement: What is happening in Córdoba?”, we held workshops in different locations in the province. crossed by socio-environmental conflicts.

This entire journey, added to the daily accompaniment to communities in Córdoba, allowed us to detect the need to create a tool that brings together all the inputs created, information related to the Escazú Agreement and that provides practical instruments to facilitate the exercise of the rights it regulates. For this reason, we launched “Escazú for communities” (agreementdescazu.org), a platform that provides information about what the Agreement is, what rights it contemplates and how they are exercised, what is the history of the Agreement, which countries in the region are part, the answers to frequent doubts that arise among those who defend the environment, among other contents. Our objective is to make available to communities the tools that Escazú offers to promote and monitor their effective implementation, and strengthen the struggles of people and groups that defend the environment, collective health and their territories.

Among the tools on the site, you can find: models for requesting public environmental information, explanations on how citizen participation should be guaranteed and made effective in decisions that impact the environment, types of judicial actions that can be filed to claim; the obligations of States to guarantee the safety of those who defend the environment, among other issues.

At Fundeps we have also been working to strengthen the strategies and approaches to socio-environmental conflicts, putting human rights defenders in environmental matters at the center. For this reason, within the website you can also access “Resisting and re-existing in community. Stories and experiences of socio-environmental struggles in Córdoba. This document is the result of a series of interviews carried out during 2023 and 2024 with seven communities in struggle in the province of Córdoba (OMAS, VUDAS, Todxs por Nuestros Arreros, Vecinos Autoconvocados de Marcos Juárez, Preservando el Parque de la Vida, Madres de Barrio Ituzaingó and Friends of the San Martín Reserve), to whom we deeply appreciate their support and collaboration. The purpose is to share the experiences of the communities, their stories and their useful advice for those who are beginning a process of socio-environmental struggle.

We are committed to this website serving as reference material and strengthening environmental capacities. We also promote the dissemination of struggle strategies and the learning of those who carry them out in the province, so that socio-environmental challenges are navigated solidly knowledge, based on shared experiences and, above all, on the network.

We hope that it will be useful to interested people, and above all, to those who defend human rights in environmental matters.

VISIT THE WEBSITE

Author

Ananda María Lavayen

Contact

Laura Carrizo, lauracarrizo@fundeps.org

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From Córdoba to Brazil: Environmental defenders in the Inter-American Court of Human Rights

From May 20 to 29, the 167th Ordinary Period of Sessions of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (CoIDH) was held in Brazil. On this occasion, the Public Hearings of the Advisory Opinion on “Climate Emergency and Human Rights” presented by Chile and Colombia continued. On April 27, the CIEL Foundation and VUDAS (United Neighbors in Defense of a Healthy Environment) were presenting within the framework of the amicus curie presented by Fundeps together with other civil society organizations, representatives of the Public of the Escazú Agreement and communities in struggle, relating to human rights defenders in environmental matters in the context of climate change and energy transition.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

In January 2023, Chile and Colombia presented to the Court a request for an Advisory Opinion on Climate Emergency and Human Rights. Through this request, the CoIDH was asked to issue a ruling in relation to state obligations to protect, prevent and guarantee people and territories in the context of a climate emergency.

Dozens of organizations and defenders from the region saw in this request for an advisory opinion an opportunity to present to the IACHR their observations, arguments and concerns regarding the points of analysis presented by Chile and Colombia. The level of citizen participation, carried out through amicus curiae, makes the request historic and highlights the concern that exists around the issues presented to the CoIDH for its consideration.

In this sense, in the amicus curie, from Fundeps, together with more than 15 civil society organizations, elected representatives of the Public of the Escazú Agreement and communities in struggle, we provide arguments related to:
a. the importance of ratifying the Escazú Agreement by countries that have not yet done so.
b. The fundamental thing would be for the Inter-American Court to apply the protection standards of the Escazú Agreement in its decisions.
c. The intersectionality that exists between structural inequalities, vulnerability to the climate emergency and the risks faced by women and, in particular, women defenders.
d. The challenges presented by the energy transition in relation to the protection of human rights.

Representing the amicus, Luisa Gómez from the CIEL Foundation and Silvia Cruz and Maria Rosa Viñolo from Vecinas Unidos en Defensa de un Ambiente Seguro (VUDAS) traveled to participate in the hearing in the city of Manaus, Brazil. On Monday, May 27, they presented the main argumentative points of the amicus. You can see his interventions starting at minute 51:27 of this video.

They have been carrying out a socio-environmental struggle for more than 10 years against the installation and operation of a bioethanol production plant in their neighborhood, in the City of Córdoba. From Fundeps, we accompany the VUDAS in their fight and on this occasion, we present their witness case in the inter-American system as it illustrates the challenges faced by human rights defenders in environmental matters and even more so by women defenders. The VUDAS, like other organizations, navigate daily the contradictions of an unjust energy transition, which generates areas of sacrifice and puts human rights in check. Many of the alternatives or solutions that are presented as “green” in the context of energy transition, bring with them multiple problems and violations of rights that, if not addressed comprehensively, endanger communities and territories.

The resolution of this request for an advisory opinion, which is expected at the end of this year, generates great expectations due to the need that exists in the inter-American human rights system, for the IACHR to issue a ruling regarding the obligations and responsibilities of the States. in the context of climate emergency and energy transition.

 

Author

Manuela Fernandez Grassani

Contacto

Laura Carrizo, lauracarrizo@fundeps.org

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Various sectors of Córdoba met to talk about the rollback of rights

This Friday, May 24, the meeting “Córdoba has impact: Conversation for disputed rights” took place with the participation of more than 100 people at the Museum of Anthropologies. It was organized by Fundeps, with the participation of more than 30 spaces.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

For three hours, reflections were developed around:

  • how the reduction in public spending affects university education, the scientific-technological system, the popular sectors and the media;
  • the consequences of the pension and labor reform proposal, focusing on private home workers; and the unconstitutionality of DNU 70/23.
  • the regulatory regressions in relation to the exploitation of natural resources, how communities experience these deregulations and the environmental impact of the Large Investment Regime (RIGI).

The discussion brought together representatives from various fields, including academia, social organizations, communities, media and unions.

An event with diverse voices and perspectives that help us understand some of the challenges we face and how to build collective strategies against the regression of rights.

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We participate in the 3rd Conference of the Parties to the Escazú Agreement

From April 21 to 24, we participated in the Third Conference of the Parties to the Escazú Agreement (COP3) that took place in Santiago, Chile. Likewise, we were part of the event that was held previously (Pre-COP) and the parallel panels of civil society organizations.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

In April, the Third Conference of the Parties to the Escazú Agreement was held: a treaty on access to information, public participation and access to justice in environmental matters in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Conference of the Parties is the highest deliberative and decision-making body of this regional Agreement, and is held once every two years, with the purpose of making decisions, reviewing and promoting the application and effectiveness of the Agreement.

Particularly, the main objective of this third COP was the treatment and approval of the Action Plan on human rights defenders in environmental matters in Latin America and the Caribbean, the result of extensive prior public participation. This Plan aims to advance the implementation of Article 9 of the Agreement, which establishes the obligation of the Parties to guarantee a safe and conducive environment for the actions of defenders without threats, restrictions and in safe conditions. The Plan is structured into four axes, each with strategic actions:

  1. knowledge generation;
  2. recognition;
  3. strengthening of capacities and cooperation for the national implementation of the Action Plan;
  4. evaluation, monitoring and review.

It is important to highlight that the Escazú Agreement is the first international treaty that contemplates the protection of defenders. This incorporation is very relevant for Latin America and the Caribbean since it is considered the most dangerous region in the world for those who defend the environment. This is why advancing its protection and defense is a priority need for the region and an example for the rest of the world.

In addition, the mainstreaming of the gender issue was approved, through which measures, actions and activities will be incorporated aimed at integrating and reinforcing the gender perspective in relation to Escazú. Parties were also encouraged to continue promoting the full and effective participation of women in all their diversity, especially indigenous women. This is relevant since it forces countries to adopt measures to guarantee equity and equality.

Likewise, within the framework of the meeting, both in parallel and before and after, more than 30 events were held in which defenders, civil society organizations, indigenous communities, elected representatives of the public, and activists from across the region participated. and authorities. These events were very important for creating and strengthening ties, disseminating socio-environmental conflicts and building capacities among participants.

Although we cannot fail to notice the path that still needs to be taken to achieve environmental and climate justice, we recognize the enormous step forward that the approval of the Action Plan for defenders and the incorporation of the gender perspective implies. For these reasons, at Fundeps we continue to participate and firmly support the effective implementation of the Escazú Agreement, its dissemination and capacity building.

 

Authors

Manuela Fernández Grassani

Ananda María Lavayen

Contact

Laura Carrizo, lauracarrizo@fundeps.org

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WE SAY AGAIN: NO TO THE BASE LAW

On Thursday, April 25, the plenary session of the Budget and Finance, General Legislation and Constitutional Affairs Committees of the Chamber of Deputies reached the opinion on the new law of Bases and starting points for the freedom of Argentines (former omnibus law) . Today, Monday, the law will be discussed in the chamber, together with the so-called “Fiscal Package”, the law on Palliative and Relevant Fiscal Measures, which introduces modifications to the tax regime. From Fundeps, we once again say #NoALaLeydeBases, because:

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

  • Its treatment and approval in Commissions was in accelerated times. And the debate process was not open or participatory. In this way, a broad and specific discussion of each of the topics addressed was not allowed.
  • It allows institutions such as CONICET, the National Securities Commission, the Financial Information Unit, ANMAT, INTA, INCUCAI, INCAA, Enacom, CONEAU, among others, to be intervened, split, partially dissolved or lose functions and powers. other decentralized or centralized organizations.
  • Depending on these powers, and by not being explicitly excluded from the list, it could affect the operation of the National Genetic Data Bank (BNDG), which allows the identification of the grandsons and granddaughters that the Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo have been looking for since the dictatorship. ; and the National Administration of National Parks (ANP), putting our protected areas at risk.
  • It introduces modifications to the pension regime, which in a context of extensive labor informality, means that 9 out of 10 women will not be able to retire at age 60 and will have to wait until age 65 to access a Universal Benefit for the Elderly (PUAM), and that 7 out of 10 men will also not be able to retire at age 65, having to opt for a non-contributory pension or a proportional retirement.
  • The fiscal package introduces the elimination of the Social Monotribute, which was a category designed to promote the formalization of lower-income sectors. This measure could affect more than 600,000 workers.
  • The labor reform, in line with the chapter of DNU 70/2023 that was judicialized, implies an enormous reduction in rights, since it encourages unregistered work by eliminating fines and compensation, extending the trial period, among other measures.We insist that this project, even with the modifications that were made from February to today, must have greater public debate and cannot be approved. It affects the rights of workers, deepens gender inequalities, attacks the protection of nature, puts the science and technology system at risk; and subjects several public companies to privatization processes, which are strategic for the development of our country and the defense of sovereignty. 

     

    Contact

    Mayca Balaguer, maycabalaguer@fundeps.org

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Actions that transform: see our Annuary 2023

We are proud to share the 2023 Yearbook, a review of our work, achievements and lessons learned over the past year.

During 2023 we carried out a variety of actions. From advocacy meetings and court filings, to research, conferences and workshops, communications campaigns and more. Each action reflects our determination to transform society and defend human rights.

In addition, at the end of last year, we experienced a major change in our leadership. Carolina Tamagnini, who has led Fundeps for the past 4 years, stepped down as Executive Director to join the Board of Directors and in her place, Mayca Balaguer took over as the new Director.

This change marks not only a transition in leadership, but also a moment of institutional strengthening and renewal, consolidating a dynamic team capable of responding to emerging demands, growing both institutionally and in impact.

What began as an initiative in 2009, today has become a solid organization involved in the defense of human rights, and in 2024. We celebrate 15 years!

Because we are confident that the best way to carry out our work is in a network and collectively, we thank the organizations, communities and individuals who were part of these initiatives. We celebrate with you our progress and invite you to get to know the Yearbook 2023: the collective memory of our commitment to a more just, equitable, sustainable and democratic society.

 

VIEW ANNUARY 2023

Marcos Juárez: we present a protection for the use of pesticides in populated areas

Together with the community of Marcos Juárez we presented an environmental protection in the Córdoba Justice Department. We request that the current ordinance on agrochemicals be modified with the objective of expanding the protection zone, compliance with controls and the functioning of the Advisory Commission on the Environment be made effective.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

The application of agrochemicals in Argentina continues to be one of the main environmental problems and leads to serious contamination of water, soil, air and consequent damage to biodiversity and people’s health.

There are thousands of scientific studies around the world that prove the toxicity of these products and their link with the development of chronic diseases that affect adults and mainly children. Among them are: abnormal neurological development, cancer, increased incidence of non-hodking lymphoma, a condition in the human placenta with a probable impact on the development of abortions.

The problem of agrochemicals is no longer limited only to rural communities who see their homes, hospitals and schools fumigated daily, but affects millions of people in our country. As an example, the organization Democracia en Red, within the framework of the Pesticides Introduced Silently (PIS) project, analyzed 200 urine samples in the towns of Lobos, Saladillo, Barrio Nicole (La Matanza), Mar Chiquita and the City of Buenos Aires. Aires. The results showed that in all districts there were positive cases for glyphosate.

At Fundeps we have been addressing this problem for some time, developing and implementing different strategies to achieve adequate public policies to guarantee socio-environmental sustainability. In that sense, in 2019 we published our Agrochemical Emergency website where we systematized the immensity of socio-environmental conflicts that occur in our province from the use/misuse of agrochemicals, we also provide tools so that communities can claim for their rights. Simultaneously, we develop models of ordinances that propose restrictions on the use of these products and the creation of protection zones, seeking to promote local advances to improve the quality of community life.

Following this path, in the month of May we presented a first environmental protection for contamination with agrochemicals in Colonia Tirolesa, a process where even and despite the scientific evidence about the various health problems that the community continually suffers, no solution has been found.

Marcos Juárez: what happens with pesticides?

Marcos Juárez is a town located in the southeast of the province of Córdoba, an area known for its economic growth linked to agricultural exploitation and agroindustry, which uses large quantities of chemical products such as fungicides, herbicides, insecticides and despite the fact that Marcos Juárez has With ordinance 2446, which regulates the use and application of chemical and biological products for agricultural use and which the Municipality adheres to Provincial Law 9140, a large part of the population is exposed to these products on a daily basis.

The Marcos Juárez Ordinance arose from a process of collective struggle in 2010, when members of the community organized against the excessive fumigation with agrochemicals due to the social and health consequences caused by this form of production and that was intensifying over time. This ordinance represented a true historical milestone for Córdoba, since it establishes environmental protection zones for the application of agrochemicals. However, over the years the community began to observe that this regulation is insufficient. Added to this is the fact that the Municipality is unable to enforce compliance with this regulation (there are dozens of complaints for violations).

In this context, in 2015 the Genetics and Environmental Mutation Group belonging to the Department of Natural Sciences of the University of Río Cuarto, headed by Dr. Delia Aiassa, evaluated the level of damage to the genetic material in children exposed to pesticides. in the town. The study shows that of the total number of exposed children, 20 (40%) presented persistent symptoms of various kinds. On the other hand, he maintains: “In the case of a relatively small city, this result shows that the sprays could reach (by air) the entire town and that the vulnerable population of children is subjected to extremely high and continuous exposure, givenwho lives surrounded by crops. Taking into account that there are no differences between the groups of children under study in terms of spray distances up to a maximum of 1095 m, this information should be taken into account when establishing environmental safeguards in localities that are surrounded by crops where spraying is carried out”.

From there, and considering that the ordinance establishes distances that are well below what is recommended, for example in some high risk areas (art. 4) the exclusion zone of 150 meters (when in other locations it is 1500 meters), the community organizes itself again and begins a long journey of demands to safeguard their lives and those of their children.

In this framework, at Fundeps we began to support this legitimate claim and after a long journey we decided to go to court in search of solutions.

The Environmental Protection Action

For these reasons, by virtue of the precautionary, preventive and intergenerational equity principle, on November 27 we presented an environmental collective action before the Córdoba justice system requesting, among other things:

  • The creation of an environmental protection zone no less than 1,095 meters away from the external limit of populated areas, where terrestrial fumigation is prohibited.
  • And an environmental protection zone of no less than 3000 meters where fumigation of areas with any type of chemical or biological product for agricultural use is prohibited.

The purpose of this action is to safeguard and protect the rights of those who live in the town. We hope that justice, making use of the powers granted by environmental legislation, will quickly order the Municipality of Marcos Juárez to adopt concrete and urgent measures. This is essential to safeguard the community’s rights to life, health and a healthy environment.

 

Authors:

Katen Moldes and María Laura Carrizo

Contact:

María Laura Carrizo, lauracarrizo@fundeps.org

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Argentina presented the National Plan for the Implementation of the Escazú Agreement

On October 3, the national government presented the National Plan for the Implementation of the Escazú Agreement. This regional treaty was approved by Argentina in 2020 and seeks to implement the rights of access to environmental information, public participation in environmental decision-making, access to Justice and the protection of human rights defenders in environmental matters.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

The Secretary of Climate Change and Sustainable Development and Innovation of the Nation was appointed to advance towards the implementation of the Escazú Agreement in Argentina. This tour was designed in two stages: the first, aimed at carrying out a diagnosis to determine the status of compliance with the Agreement in our country, from which recommendations emerged: and the second was focused on designing the Plan. For this, a public consultation, collaborative virtual and in-person meetings, regional dialogue tables and a proposal box were carried out. In total, 533 contributions were received from citizens in the design of the Plan and the majority (65%) of the people who participated were women. At Fundeps we accompany this entire process by providing contributions in the different participatory instances.

The Plan is structured into 6 axes: access to public environmental information, public participation in environmental decision-making, access to justice in environmental matters, human rights defenders in environmental issues, capacity building, governance system for the execution and monitoring of the implementation of the Agreement. Objectives and indicators are also established, which are very important for evaluating progress in implementation. The execution of the Plan will be over a period of 3 years and will be in charge of the National Executive Branch.

The process of creating the Plan was an open, participatory and transparent process, focused on ensuring citizen participation and building the necessary consensus to address the needs of the communities and make the Agreement effective. We celebrate the presentation of this Plan, which represents a milestone towards the consolidation of the application of the Escazú Agreement in Argentina and provides concrete tools to facilitate its implementation. Now we urge the national state and the provinces to implement its implementation and citizens to demand its effective application to achieve the ultimate goal of the Escazú Agreement: compliance with the right to a healthy environment.

 

More Information

 

Author

Manuela Fernández Grassani 

Contact

María Laura Carrizo, lauracarrizo@fundeps.org