Vidal Met with Newmont and Agreed on Joint Work Agenda
The conflict between the Government of Santa Cruz and Newmont over the gold deposit Cerro Negro saw its first sign of rapprochement on Monday. Governor Claudio Vidal received a delegation of company executives in Río Gallegos and agreed to launch a joint work agenda centered on workplace safety, environmental protection, genuine employment, and participation of Santa Cruz suppliers.
The meeting comes just two days after an inspection concluded, revealing a situation far more tense than reflected in the official statement. Between September 9 and 12, teams from the provincial Department of State Labor inspected sectors considered critical at the deposit and ordered six work stoppages for what the secretary himself, Javier Aravena, characterized as grave violations of worker safety. Among the irregularities detected were vehicles without proper authorization, deficiencies in the transportation of fuel and hazardous substances, failures in gas measurement equipment, and an alleged cyanide spill.
A work agenda was agreed upon with Newmont authorities following an inspection that revealed serious irregularities.
The operation also had a chapter of direct friction: according to the Province, inspectors found the property entrances locked with padlocks, forcing them to request police intervention and ultimately obtain a court order to gain access and complete the inspection.
The provincial Government did not rule out proceeding toward a total shutdown of operations, although they clarified that this decision will depend on how subsequent inspections evolve.
What Was Agreed
It was in this context that Monday's meeting took place. According to the official statement, both parties resolved to convene a working group with participation from unions present at Cerro Negro, and will hold periodic follow-up meetings focused on local employment, enforcement of Law 90/10—which requires a minimum threshold for provincial labor contracting—and generating opportunities for workers and companies in Santa Cruz.
From the Executive branch, Governor Vidal attended along with Energy and Mining Minister Jaime Álvarez and Minister of Economy, Finance and Infrastructure Ezequiel Verbes. From Newmont, the General Director for the Americas, David Meador; General Manager of Cerro Negro, Tito Cacho; Regional Manager of External Affairs, Darío Zegarra; and Country Director, María Eugenia Sampalione.
A Weighty Precedent
The discussion is not merely administrative. Sebastián Santillán, Coordinator of Labor Delegations Northern Zone of Santa Cruz, had responded to complaints from the Mining Suppliers Chamber (CAPROMISA), which warned about the impact the measures could have on contractors and workers.
The official stated that the Province seeks to promote investment and employment, but those objectives cannot come at the expense of compliance with safety standards, and recalled that in April 2024 two workers died at that same deposit—a precedent that provincial authorities again raised to justify deepening controls.
Labor organizations in the sector, for their part, backed the inspections conducted at Cerro Negro.
Inspection by Santa Cruz's Labor Ministry.
With the inspection formally closed but controls still underway, the immediate challenge lies in verifying that Newmont implements required corrections in safety, hygiene, and documentation. The new dialogue forum announced this week will seek, in parallel, to ease tensions and institutionally channel a conflict that—at least for now—has put on hold the threat of a total shutdown of one of Santa Cruz's major mining operations.