Responsible tourism in Argentina

Since the 19th century, many of Argentina's diversity of indigenous peoples have suffered discrimination, intimidation and violence, sometimes in the name of 'economic progress', other times due to sheer prejudice. Thankfully, there are signs that their claims to basic human and land rights are beginning to be heard by Argentina's authorities. “We don’t want to be considered as strangers in our own country, poor or useless. We want to live without discrimination. We don’t want bloodshed, we just want to reclaim our community,” is how Félix Díaz, leader of the Qom indigenous community in the province of Formosa, described the situation to Amnesty International.

With regard to land rights, the interests of native populations have often come into conflict with industry, particularly large-scale agriculture and mining. The UN Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Peoples has criticised the lack of consultation with the communities over development projects and the exploitation of natural resources in territory they consider their own.

This has prompted direct action as the only way to be heard. In 2010, for example, Qom activists blocked the 86 National Route for four months in protest against the building of a National University on what they considered their ancestral lands. Police violently broke up the protest, resulting in at least two deaths. In 2008, a leader of the Pueblo Diaguita community in Tucumán province was shot dead while trying to prevent the removal of his people from their territory by a major landowner. And in 2012, several members of the Nogalito community in Tucumán were beaten and threatened with death by individuals seeking to take over their land.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) demanded Argentina stop such violence, while the country's Supreme Court also ordered the government and the National Institution of Indigenous Rights (INAI) to work together to map disputed territories and to guarantee the right to indigenous populations to proper consultations.

Both Argentina’s Constitution and international human rights law recognise the right of indigenous peoples to their ancestral lands. Further, in 2006, the National Congress passed a law that ordered the suspension of evictions of all indigenous peoples until the ancestral lands had been mapped through a survey. Despite this, mappings are not taking place and violent evictions continue. "The land is our life. From it we obtain the food and medicines we need. It provides us with the natural resources to make our houses, for our livelihoods. Without the land, we the indigenous people will lose our spiritual roots," says Félix Diaz. Indigenous voices must be heard.

Source: Amnesty International

What you can do
Take part in tourism which helps boost the welfare of indigenous population – and enriches your own vacation too. Stay in locally-owned accommodation, trek with native guides, shop in artisan markets and participate in traditional festivals and events.

During the 'Dirty War' – which followed similar dictatorships in the 1950s and 60s – security forces abducted an estimated 30,000 people, many of whom are still unaccounted for and believed murdered. Widespread and systematic human rights violations were committed, including torture and extrajudicial executions on a grand scale. A number of high level officials, including former military presidents Jorge Videla and Reynaldo Bignone have been convicted for their involvement in these human rights crimes.

While Argentina continues to make significant progress prosecuting those involved in killings and torture during the country’s so-called “Dirty War” – spurred by the demands of children who lost their parents – there remain outstanding human rights concerns about proper freedom of expression (e.g. ceasing government prosecution of outspoken publications and protecting journalistic sources), allegations of continuing torture in custody and women’s rights.

Source: Amnesty International
Source: Human Rights Watch
Source: The Guardian

What you can do:
Get informed on human rights in Argentina and be open to listening to what locals have to say on the subject. Give financial support to campaigning organisations such as Amnesty International Human Rights Watch.

While much attention is focused on the impact of economic cuts in Argentina, the country is paying far less notice to the catastrophic loss of its forests, driven by the short-term demands of agriculture rather than the long-term needs of the environment.

According to a report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Argentina has lost at least 70 million hectares of forest in the last century, with over 16 million hectares of tree cover decimated between 1980 and 2000 alone. Since 1914, two-thirds of Argentina's native forests have been destroyed. 

The clearing of forests to provide grazing for cattle has long been cited as a major cause of mass deforestation in Argentina, damaging swathes of the Espinal shrubland forest and the Chaco region. But vegetarians have nothing to feel smug about. Research by WWF also points major blame at soya cultivation, with deforestation due to expanding soybean cultivation posing a serious threat to environmental jewels such as the Yungas 'cloud forest' as well as, again, the Chaco region - one of the largest forest biomes in South America.

Argentina's desire to boost its economy in the face of financial crises is understandable at one level. But the setting of aggressive targets to further expand soybean production for export crazily puts short-term gain before long-term sustainability, not just for Argentina but for the whole planet.

What you can do:
Eat less beef - and soya products – from Argentina. Support organisations such as WWF that are campaigning to protect vulnerable environments from the impact of large-scale agriculture driven by exports that also add climate-harming food miles.