August 31, 2026

ARGENTINA: Thousands Protested Pres Milei Plan To Open Land To Foreign Buyers And Fire Management Bill That Would Lift Sale Restrictions After Fire. Israeli Tourists Caught Setting Fires In Patagonia.

DRM News published August 7, 2026: "The Homeland Is Not for Sale" Argentines Protest Milei's Land Reform Bill.

Thousands of Argentines rallied outside Congress as lawmakers debated President Javier Milei's controversial "Inviolability of Private Property" bill. Protesters, unions, and war veterans warned the legislation could open the door to foreign ownership of land and natural resources, while supporters argued it strengthens constitutional property rights. The heated debate has intensified political divisions across Argentina. For more details, watch our story and subscribe to our channel, DRM News.
Times Now World published August 1, 2026: ARGENTINA ERUPTS: ‘Not For Sale’, Thousands Protest Milei’s Plan to Open Lands to Foreign Buyers.

Thousands of protesters marched through Buenos Aires on Saturday opposing a government-backed bill they say could weaken restrictions on foreign ownership of rural land. Indigenous, environmental and social groups accused President Javier Milei’s administration of putting Argentina’s strategic territories, water resources and natural reserves at risk. Carrying Wiphala flags and banners reading “The land is not for sale,” demonstrators demanded lawmakers reject the proposed reforms, which remain under review in the Senate. Supporters of the protest warned the changes could allow greater access for foreign investors and multinational companies.
Al Jazeera English published August 6, 2026: Argentina protests erupt over Milei’s controversial property reform bill.

Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets outside Argentina’s Congress in Buenos Aires to oppose a controversial property reform bill backed by President Javier Milei’s government. Police used water cannons, tear gas and rubber bullets as demonstrations against the legislation turned violent. The bill aims to strengthen private property rights, speed up evictions and make it easier to develop land affected by wildfires. A key provision that would have removed restrictions on foreign ownership of rural land was dropped after the government failed to secure enough political support. Indigenous groups say the proposed reforms threaten ancestral lands, cultural identity and environmental protections. The government argues the legislation is needed to attract foreign investment and provide greater legal certainty for landowners. Critics accuse Milei’s administration of putting Argentina’s land and natural resources at risk.
I added the map above to highlight Argentina for reference.

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TeleSur News, English translation
written by Staff
Friday August 7, 2026

Argentina’s Senate approved the government’s Private Property Inviolability bill early Friday after removing two of its most controversial provisions to secure enough votes, while protests outside Congress escalated into clashes that left people injured and detained.

The bill, backed by President Javier Milei’s government, passed after more than 10 hours of debate with 37 votes in favor and 33 against. To win approval, the ruling party, La Libertad Avanza, withdrew chapters that would have amended legislation governing rural land ownership and land affected by wildfires.

During negotiations, the government revised its proposal on rural land ownership several times. It initially sought to eliminate the current 15% cap on foreign ownership of rural land, later proposed raising the limit to 25%, and ultimately removed the entire section from the bill. Lawmakers also abandoned proposed changes to the Fire Management Law that would have eased the existing 30- and 60-year restrictions on the use of land affected by wildfires.

With those provisions removed, the legislation now focuses on three core areas. It introduces measures designed to accelerate eviction proceedings while providing housing solutions in cases involving minors, people with disabilities and older adults in vulnerable situations.

The bill also revises the legal requirements governing state expropriations of private property by establishing new conditions that must be met before real estate can be acquired through that process. In addition, it creates a Federal Council to modernize Argentina’s property registry through the full digitalization of real estate administrative procedures.

The legislation will now move to the lower house, where lawmakers are expected to debate the approved provisions, particularly those affecting the state’s authority to carry out future expropriations.

As senators debated the bill, thousands of people demonstrated in Buenos Aires and other parts of the country to oppose the proposal. Protests outside the National Congress, which began peacefully, later erupted into clashes as security forces used tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators.

The security operation expanded from the area surrounding the legislative palace to Callao Avenue, Corrientes Avenue, Avenida de Mayo and Plaza de Mayo, leaving several people injured and detained.

The Senate vote marks another contentious episode in the Milei administration’s legislative agenda, which has been marked by repeated negotiations and concessions as it seeks to advance its reform program. Social organizations and government critics argue that proposals to ease restrictions on foreign ownership of rural land have not been abandoned entirely and could return in future legislative sessions.

Posted by Princess Mononoke at 3:57 PM

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