¿“Sin loteo no hay esquí” o “Sí al esquí, no al loteo”? Análisis de la controversia ambiental del Cerro Perito Moreno, El Bolsón, Río Negro, Argentina (2010-2013)

Abstract

This thesis analyzes the controversy generated by a residential development project in Perito Moreno mountain (El Bolsón, Río Negro, Argentina) near a ski center, which is a protected area5. The technologies involved, especially the ones for water management, and the scale of the project, have produced resistance in part of the population, who perceive that this residential development would have high environmental and socio-economic costs. However, the company that proposes it, and has been in charge of Perito Moreno ski-lifts concession since 2011, asserts that the ski-lift maintenance is not economically feasible unless it includes a real estate business to guarantee the improvements in the ski-lifts. It perceives this business as a residential development that keeps a “balance between the social, economic and ecologic growth”6 and it is supported by another sector of the population. This research was carried out from April 2010 (when the company buys the land for the residential development) to December 2013 (when the judge issues the prosecution of the authorities involved in the allocation of the land in question). Due to the fact that a general theory to analyze environmental controversies still does not exist, different theories were triangulated. Taking the theoretical frame from the field of science, technology and society, approaches of social movements, contentious politics, risk society, risk perception and the controversial spaces model. The representations and practices of the parts involved were investigated, in the construction of the controversy as well as in their change process, through documents analysis (the record, press media, technical reports from the companies and government organizations) and in depth interviews to key informants. A constructivist approach was taken, adopting the qualitative paradigm and the case study strategy.This thesis expects to contribute to the starting knowledge base on this topic, to serve as a reference for the actors involved and as input to elaborate and evaluate public policies about environmentally controversial projects.