Michael Meding, managing director of McEwen Copper and Los Azules Copper Mining Project, poses for a photo during an interview with AFP in Buenos Aires on March 17, 2026. "Mining will spread across the entire mountain range, generating hundreds of thousands of jobs," Argentine President Javier Milei predicted in March. Weeks later, he enacted a reform of the glacier protection law that will allow provinces to open up new areas to mining. Environmental groups challenged the measure in court, arguing that it threatens access to water. (Photo by Luis ROBAYO / AFP via Getty Images)