Officials summoned to testify over sand extraction in Entre Ríos for the Vaca Muerta field – El Día | 23/10/25

The Federal Court of Gualeguaychú, led by Judge Hernán Viri, has summoned four provincial officials —the mayor of Ibicuy, the provincial Secretary of Environment, the Secretary of Mining and the Minister of Productive Development— to testify in an investigation into alleged crimes including dereliction of duty, ideological falsehood and lack of oversight concerning silica-sand extraction and washing plants in the Ibicuy and Gualeguaychú departments. The sand is destined for fracking operations in Vaca Muerta. Accusations backed by more than five years of documentation claim companies operated without valid licenses, extraction proceeded despite court orders, and officials who knew of the situation failed to act. Additionally, the UN Environment Programme estimated that 50 billion tons of sand are removed annually in Entre Ríos without adequate monitoring. Link to Article

*The tons mentioned in the article are inconsistent.