Seemingly never-ending legal and environmental wrangles over twoChina-backed dams [Condor Cliff and La Barrancosa] in southern Argentina have failed to deter new president Alberto Fernández from pressing ahead with the project….

A consortium made up of Chinese majority partner Gezhouba Group Corporation and Argentine companies Electroenginiería and Hidrocuyo is in charge of delivering the dams. The government says the project will boost hydroelectric generation in Argentina by 15% and power more than 600,000 homes. ...

At the end of 2016, however, Argentina's Supreme Court suspended work on the dams, ruling that a proper environmental impact assessment and public consultation be carried out. …Former President…responded to court rulings by scaling back the project. …The modifications satisfied the Supreme Court, which finally green-lighted the works in September 2017. …Beyond environmental groups, local communities belonging to the Mapuche and Tehuelche peoples also oppose the project. They defend the river and surrounding territory as sacred spaces and have made a formal legal claim for a consultation on the project. …“The works are moving beyond weaknesses in the environmental impact assessment to [proceeding] without the prior, free and informed consent of indigenous communities.” ...

By 2022, the project will have created 3,000 jobs and generated further employment for those providing food, medicine and recreational services to the site. The loan for construction will be repaid by sales of power generated by the dams. Fernández Taboada …said…“Progress sometimes affects environmental conditions or individuals. The benefits that this work will bring are much greater than the small environmental damages there may be.”