Under the name "Proyecto Baguales," the Río Negro government unconstitutionally authorized the construction of three hydroelectric plants at the headwaters of the Baguales stream. The beneficiary is an associate of the Emir of Qatar, who now has exclusive use of the public water for 30 years in a protected border area.

The map of dispossession in Patagonia has added a chapter of unprecedented institutional gravity. Official documentation from Official Gazette No. 6357 reveals that Governor Alberto Weretilneck authorized, through an administrative resolution and without legislative approval, the construction of three hydroelectric plants for the exclusive benefit of Qatari capital.

A "Parallel State" with its own energy

The project is being developed on the Baguales stream , a public waterway that will now be used by the Río Villegas SAU company to generate electricity for an ultra-luxury tourist complex. The power plants, named CHiBa I, II, and III , are located in a "red zone" of native forest, between 1,100 and 1,500 meters above sea level.

Abdulhadi Mana A Sh Al-Hajri obtained authorization from the Río Negro government to build three hydroelectric dams in the Baguales complex, located between Bariloche and El Bolsón. Former Argentine tennis player Gastón Gaudio, who has ties to the Qatari businessman, is also involved in the project.

The leap over the Provincial Constitution

Weretilneck 's maneuver is being denounced as blatantly unconstitutional . According to the Río Negro Water Code, any hydroelectric project of this magnitude must be approved by a special law passed by the Legislature . However, the Río Negro Executive used the Provincial Water Department (DPA) to grant a 30-year permit through Resolution 75/2025 . By circumventing parliamentary debate, the government prevented:

1.   Public Hearings: There was no citizen participation or transparent environmental impact studies.

2.   Indigenous Consultation: ILO Convention 169 was ignored, even though the project affects ecological corridors and territories claimed by indigenous communities.

The Geopolitics of Water

This energy transfer comes on top of polo player Hugo Barabucci 's confession about buying land with funds from the United Arab Emirates and the secret agreement between Milei and Joe Lewis regarding Lago Escondido. The pattern is identical: the state cedes control of river headwaters and border areas to foreign powers seeking "strategic havens."

While the people of Rio Negro suffer from deficiencies in the electricity service, the governor guarantees energy autonomy for three decades to a partner of the Emir of Qatar in the heart of the mountain range.

This isn't investment, it's alienation . The Baguales Project is the final blow to the province's water sovereignty. We are witnessing the privatization of rivers for the recreation of Gulf monarchies, under the auspices of a provincial administration that has chosen to govern for the emirs, not for the Argentinian people.