The scandal surrounding the foreign takeover of Patagonia has escalated to the level of direct political responsibility. Following the confession of polo player Hugo Barabucci , who admitted to purchasing 20,000 hectares in the headwaters of the Chubut River with a $2 million "donation" from the Emir of Abu Dhabi , all eyes are now on the Government House in Río Negro .

According to a report published this Saturday, the 11th , by La Política Online (LPO) , Governor Alberto Weretilneck is at the center of a major controversy. The suspicion is significant: his administration is alleged to have been instrumental in allowing Emirati and Qatari capital to establish itself in areas where national law explicitly prohibits foreign ownership.

The Border Zone: A boundary erased by power

Law 26.737 and the Border Security regulations are unequivocal: a foreigner—or a straw man —cannot own these lands. However, in Río Negro, this limit seems to be nonexistent for those close to power.

The "Arab Axis": From Abu Dhabi to Qatar

The investigation reveals that the Emir of Abu Dhabi is not the only one interested in the Río Negro heritage. Weretilneck 's connections extend to the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani .

The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in 2022 prior to the World Cup.

The refuge of February 28: Secrecy and complicity

The visit of Emir Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to Bariloche last February, aboard a VIP Boeing 787, was shrouded in a "movie-like secrecy operation." This security deployment, typical of a state summit, took place at a ranch legally owned by an employee of the Emir's polo club.

Mauricio Macri and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates and Emir of Abu Dhabi, in November 2023.

Can a provincial government ignore that the monarch of a foreign power landed with cargo ships in a border area to stay in a property of dubious legality?

The betrayal of the Land Act

While President Javier Milei attempted to repeal the Land Law through Decree 70/2023 , the courts upheld its validity thanks to injunctions filed by veterans of the La Plata conflict. However, in Río Negro, the law appears to have been effectively repealed by the Weretilneck administration.

The Barabucci/Al Nahyan case is not a tourism investment; it is the creation of a state within a state . It is the handover of freshwater sources to oil conglomerates while criminalizing the indigenous population.

It is clear that the National Border Commission and the Public Prosecutor's Office should investigate the sale of these large tracts of land and determine the criminal liability of the officials who allowed it.