Patagonia Gold acquired two large tracts of land during the presidencies of Cristina Kirchner and the governorship of the Peronist Daniel Peralta
Considering both operations, Patagonia Gold disbursed USD 3,050,000 for 56,544 hectares. The figure corresponds to an approximate average of USD 53.94 per hectare, that is, around USD 54 for each of the parcels acquired during the Kirchner administrations.
During the governments of the corrupt and convicted Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, a British company purchased more than 56,000 hectares in the province of Santa Cruz for an average amount of just USD 54 per hectare.
This is Patagonia Gold, a company incorporated in England and Wales, which completed two real estate transactions in Santa Cruz territory between 2008 and 2011, when the Peronist Daniel Peralta was governing the province.
The acquisitions included the ranches La Bajada and El Tranquilo, two establishments linked to gold and silver exploration projects. Together, the operations represented an outlay of USD 3.05 million for a total area of 56,544 hectares.
The first purchase was made on December 15, 2008, when Patagonia Gold acquired the La Bajada ranch, comprising 36,544 hectares, for USD 950,000. The property included surface rights over areas related to the Cap-Oeste mining project, the COSE deposit, and other exploration areas.
Three years later, in December 2011, the company completed a second operation through its subsidiary Minera Minamalu S.A. On that occasion, it purchased the El Tranquilo ranch, comprising 20,000 hectares, for USD 2.1 million.
With this acquisition, the company obtained surface rights over the rest of the Cap-Oeste project and other areas considered of interest for mining exploration. Among them were the Don Pancho, Vetas Norte, and Felix sectors, in addition to the COSE gold and silver deposit.
The real estate operations generated controversy not only due to the ridiculous price paid but also because of the subsequent background of the mining activity carried out by the company in Santa Cruz.
In 2018, reports from provincial authorities about irregularities detected in the Cap-Oeste venture came to light.
During an inspection conducted on October 31, 2017, operational deficiencies and a cyanide solution spill were identified, the extent of which, according to the inspection report, was greater than initially reported by the company.
In addition to the mining interests, the properties have a huge heritage value that also requires attention. Recent surveys identified more than 40 archaeological sites within those lands, with rock paintings and funerary structures that need protection and safeguarding.
For all these reasons, the purchases made at a minimal price during the presidencies of Cristina Kirchner left Patagonia Gold with an extensive area of land in one of the regions with significant mineral and heritage resources in Santa Cruz.
