Argentina leader leaves controversial legacy with Patagonia dams project

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Guardian - As the presidency of Argentina’s Cristina Fernández de Kirchner enters its final days, her greatest – and arguably most controversial – legacy project is just getting under way in the remote grasslands of Patagonia.
 
Here, amid herds of wild guanacos, condor nests and the occasional rhea, a Chinese-financed team of engineers will soon be dynamiting hillsides and pouring millions of tonnes of concrete for two giant hydroelectric dams that will flood an area the size of Buenos Aires.
 
The massive structures – spanning three kilometres (almost two miles) at the widest point – will transform Santa Cruz state, bringing jobs, money and development to the heartland of Kirchnerism – but also raising concerns about the growing influence of China and the effects on a region famed for its milky blue waters and spectacular glaciers.
 
Although the environmental impact study for the $5.7bn scheme has yet to be announced and approved, preparatory work is already well under way beside the Santa Cruz river valley once explored by Charles Darwin
 
Dozens of huge Chinese dump trucks and drilling machines are now parked in the middle of the vast plain. Shafts and tunnels are being dug into the slopes near the main site. And a base camp – with canteens, game rooms and portable dormitories that still smell of fresh paint – has been established in the semi-wilderness.  Read more..