"Jáchal Raises Its Voice: Between Mercury and Hope"

Collab: Environmental & + in partnership with Asamblea Jáchal no se toca. (Interview conducted as part of the Community Representatives Questionnaire – Human Rights. The Assembly is self-managed. To support their work: alias asamblea.jnst. (Arg) Thank you ♡)

Introduction:

In northern San Juan, among mountains and valleys, the Jáchal River has long been a source of life, work, and hope. Today, however, that same source is under threat. The residents of the Department of Jáchal are facing an unprecedented drought and ongoing contamination that endanger not only the environment but also their health and fundamental human rights.

Since its creation in 2015, the Asamblea Jáchal No Se Toca (Jáchal Is Not to Be Touched Assembly) has raised its voice to defend water as a common good and a human right. This interview is part of a questionnaire aimed at making visible how environmental degradation impacts daily life and human rights, particularly from the perspective of local communities and youth #ForABetterWorld

Interview:

1. What environmental problems is your community currently facing?

In the Department of Jáchal (San Juan, Argentina), we are currently suffering the worst drought in the past 100 years. The lack of snowfall in the Andes mountains leads to water shortages during summer, affecting domestic, agricultural, tourism, and industrial uses.

However, the Jáchal River should not run dry, since glaciers and periglacial areas continue to provide water even during dry years. The problem is that the drought is worsened by the destruction of glaciers and periglacial zones caused by large-scale mining activity at the Veladero mine (operated by Barrick Gold and Shandong Gold) and the aggressive exploration campaigns throughout the San Juan mountain range.

To make matters worse, the Jáchal River basin has been suffering from chronic mercury contamination for the past ten years, following the first mining spill in September 2015. Mercury enters the food chain—passing from water to crops and animals, and finally to the people who consume them—just as occurred decades ago in Minamata Bay, Japan.

2. How long have you been facing these problems, and how have they worsened over time?

These problems became evident about a decade ago. The Asamblea Jáchal No Se Toca has confirmed, through water analyses, 18 mining spills from the Veladero mine, all containing mercury at levels equal to or higher than those detected during the initial 2015 spill.

The situation has worsened because, since October 2023, local authorities have stopped performing the mandatory water analyses established by municipal ordinance. The only “solution” implemented was to suspend testing so the population would not become alarmed — while contamination continues.

3. What concrete impacts has this situation had on the community’s daily life?

Families who can afford it buy bottled water for drinking and cooking. Those who cannot are forced to use water from the public network or local wells, which may be contaminated. All agricultural and livestock production in Jáchal relies on irrigation with water from the Jáchal River, meaning the contamination also affects food security and livelihoods.

4. Which rights do you feel are being violated as a result of this environmental situation?

The situation violates the rights to water and to a healthy environment, particularly the rights of Jáchal’s children. The Convention on the Rights of the Child (Article 24) establishes that States must ensure access to safe drinking water and combat diseases arising from environmental contamination. None of these obligations are currently being fulfilled in Jáchal.

5. How was the Assembly formed, and has it been effective in making your voices heard?

The Asamblea Jáchal No Se Toca was founded on February 27, 2015, when hundreds of residents gathered in Jáchal’s main square to oppose the exploration of a uranium mine located 20 km from the city. Around three thousand people participated that day, choosing the Assembly’s name and signing a petition. Within a week, five thousand signatures were delivered to the governor of San Juan, who eventually revoked the exploration permit granted to Latin Uranium SRL.

Since then, the Assembly has remained active. It has filed administrative and judicial actions, organized public awareness campaigns, and carried out a 1,400-kilometer bicycle ride from Jáchal to Buenos Aires in defense of Argentina’s Glacier Protection Law (2018).

Additionally, the Assembly has maintained a permanent encampment since October 2015 in front of the municipal government building, successfully preventing new mining projects in the Huachi Aquifer recharge area (also known as the Pampa del Chañar Aquifer), the last remaining source of potable water for the people of Jáchal.

6. What role do young people play in this process? Do they participate? Are they interested in these issues?

Young people played a very active role during the first year of struggle — managing social media, organizing marches, and creating public art and awareness campaigns. Over time, exhaustion, pressure, and threats caused some to withdraw. Nevertheless, whenever new actions or events are organized, youth continue to show up and participate.

7. What message would you like to share with other young people, both urban and rural, regarding the connection between the environment and human rights?

“We ask young people to defend their right to a healthy environment, to resist the culture of waste and hopelessness. Freedom is not real when there is no water.Without water, no activity and no life can continue. Those in power often protect corporate interests over people and the environment. That is why we must remember: rights that are not defended are lost.”

Final Reflection:

In Jáchal, water remains the thread that connects life, memory, and hope. The voice of this community echoes as a powerful reminder: without water, there is no future.