Glacier Law: Protests are being called for outside the Congress building due to the reduction in public hearings.

The glacier law reform is set to be debated in the Chamber of Deputies tomorrow, amidst controversy. Public hearings, for which over 100,000 people registered, will be held with a limited format: the ruling party has stipulated that only those registered first in each province will be allowed to speak before the legislators. This restriction has triggered a reaction from environmental organizations, who have called for a protest with the slogan: "Stand in line until we are allowed to speak." The protest will be held at 5:00 PM in front of the Congress. Various opposition groups, including factions of the PJ (Peronist Party), The Left, the Civic Coalition, and a sector of the Radical Party, have joined the mobilization. Representatives of indigenous peoples, peasant organizations, and workers in the informal economy, coordinated by the "Patria Grande" group led by Deputy Juan Grabois, will also participate. According to reports, the movement is centered around the "La Ley de Glaciares No Se Toca" (The Glacier Law Must Not Be Touched) campaign, which brings together environmental organizations from provinces and the city. The debate on the proposed changes to the glacier law will take place in a joint session of the Constitutional Affairs and Natural Resources committees, chaired by libertarian deputies Nicolás Mayoraz (Santa Fe) and José Peluc (San Juan). The public hearings are a preliminary step before the legislators debate the details of the reform in committees. The final stage is the plenary session. José Peluc and Nicolás Mayoraz during the glacier law debate in the Chamber of Deputies. The bill presented by the executive branch has already passed the Senate with a provisional approval, with 40 votes in favor, 31 against, and one abstention. The initiative received the support of eight Radical Party members, a representative of the Pro party, Javier Milei's provincial allies, and two members of the PJ: Lucía Corpacci (Catamarca) and Sergio Uñac (San Juan). This divided the opposition, a situation that could repeat itself in this new debate. Unlike the Chamber of Deputies, the Senate did not hold public hearings to hear from citizens. To manage the discussion time, Mayoraz and Peluc defined two public hearings: one in person this Wednesday and another virtual the following day. Both will have nine hours of debate, from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM. There will be almost 200 speakers per day, only those who "are among the first registered in each jurisdiction." The ruling party has informed the rest that they should not attend. They argued that this procedure "will guarantee the participation of representatives from the 24 jurisdictions of the country, ensuring adequate federal participation." Karina Milei, Martín and Lule Menem, Diego Santilli, and Ignacio Devitt, after the approval of the glacier law in the Senate. For the rest of the registered participants, the libertarians have decided that they can send a written statement or a video of no more than five minutes through the YouTube channel of the Chamber of Deputies. They can also send it by email. They anticipate that the videos will be shown during the hearings. Viale anticipated a possible legal challenge. "We will go anyway, with a chair, to wait our turn at the door," he said. And he concluded with a criticism of the design of the process: "There were reasonable alternatives, such as extending the deadlines or holding hearings in the provinces. But they chose the express route, as if it were a formality." Mayoraz responded to the criticisms from his X account. He argued that "the legal framework is clear and is being followed to the letter." According to him, there were no restrictions on participation. On the contrary, he defended that it was "a mechanism of maximum openness": "Any citizen, from any corner of the country, can submit their position in writing or in audiovisual format." He concluded with a sarcastic remark: "Where is the restriction? It does not exist. Pure fabrication." The bill seeks to differentiate the periglacial area from the "periglacial geomorphs" that fulfill strategic resource reserve functions. In practice, this means that not the entire periglacial territory will be under protection, but only those formations with a demonstrable hydrological function. The current law protects both visible glaciers and smaller bodies covered or mixed with rock that are part of the periglacial environment, and prohibits industrial activities there. The reform would reduce this scope, limiting protection to geomorphs considered relevant. Another point of discussion is the greater power that the changes would give to the provinces. The modification proposed by the executive branch stipulates that the jurisdictional authority will be responsible for updating the inventory in technical matters "based on technical-scientific studies." Currently, the Ianigla (Instituto Argentino de Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales), a national scientific institute based in Mendoza, is responsible for creating this inventory.