Catamarca’s Senate granted final approval to the Facilitation and Promotion Agreement for the Diablillos Mining Project, signed between the governments of Catamarca and Salta for the development of the project located within an interprovincial cooperation area between both jurisdictions.
By Panorama Minero
The initiative, promoted by the provincial Executive Branch, was enacted as Law No. 5,940 during the third ordinary session of the provincial Senate. The agreement had originally been signed on March 27, 2025, and establishes a framework for institutional coordination between both provinces for the development of the project.
The approved text clarifies that the agreement does not modify or redefine the historical positions related to the unresolved boundary dispute, which remains pending before the National Congress.
During the legislative debate, Senate Mining Committee chair Senator Soledad Blas, representing the Belén department, highlighted the economic and productive scope of the initiative for western Catamarca and emphasized the need to create development opportunities for local communities.
“Defending Catamarca’s territorial rights while promoting investment, employment and growth are not contradictory objectives,” the legislator stated during her speech before the chamber.
Institutional Cooperation and Shared Oversight
One of the main components of the approved agreement is the creation of a permanent Interprovincial Management Committee responsible for the technical, mining and environmental monitoring of the project, with institutional participation from both provinces throughout the different stages of development.
According to the approved text, the agreement explicitly acknowledges the existence of an area where boundaries have not yet been definitively established and states that the agreement may not be used as precedent for future territorial definitions.
The framework also includes coordination mechanisms related to workforce hiring, suppliers and the participation of provincial agencies, together with a scheme for the equal distribution of royalties, taxes and levies derived from potential mining operations within the area involved.
During the debate, Blas stressed that “Catamarca is not relinquishing sovereignty or institutional presence,” adding that the agreement seeks to provide legal certainty and cooperation tools to advance the project’s development.
AbraSilver Highlights Regulatory Progress
Following the legislative approval, AbraSilver Resource Corp., the company in charge of the project, welcomed the consolidation of the regulatory frameworks in both jurisdictions.
The company recalled that Salta had previously approved Law No. 8,524 in December 2025, while the recent approval of Law No. 5,940 in Catamarca completes the legal framework established for the project.
According to the company, these instruments reflect “a joint decision to move forward with a cooperation framework based on institutional respect, legal certainty and coordinated public policies in a shared-border area.”
AbraSilver also stated that the agreement incorporates environmental management criteria aligned with current regulations and promotes “a collaborative framework based on predictability, transparency and stable conditions for long-term initiatives.”
Regional Development and Local Suppliers
The company stated that the Diablillos silver project represents “a concrete opportunity for job creation and the strengthening of regional goods and service providers,” while also highlighting the commitment of both provincial governments toward communities located within the project’s area of influence.
AbraSilver added that it will continue promoting communication and participation initiatives aimed at working jointly with the governments of Catamarca and Salta in the territorial development of the project.
The final approval of the interprovincial agreement marks another institutional step forward for Diablillos, one of the metal mining projects seeking to position itself within the mining expansion scenario of northwestern Argentina, under a framework of interprovincial cooperation and shared coordination on regulatory, environmental and productive matters.
The project already holds an approved Environmental Impact Statement in Salta and continues advancing in Catamarca.
