Pascua Lama: 18 millones de onzas de oro bajo la frontera que nadie pudo sacar
Bajo América Latina
30,207 views
Pascua Lama: Eighteen Million Ounces of Gold Beneath the Border Between Chile and Argentina, an $8.5 Billion Budget, and Not a Single Ingot Produced.
High in the Andes, at nearly 5,000 meters, a gold and silver deposit was bisected by the border. To exploit it, two countries signed a mining treaty. A tunnel was dug under the mountain range, and plans were made to move glaciers. In 2020, a Chilean court ordered its complete and permanent closure. In this video, we read what the ruling actually says, how the gold was formed, why water was the real problem, what happened at the neighboring Veladero mine, and why Pascua Lama resurfaced in the conversation in 2026 with the reform of Argentina's Glacier Law.
CHAPTERS
0:00 Gold Beneath an Unseen Line
1:57 Where is Pascua Lama?
3:50 The Discovery: 1977
5:22 The 1997 Mining Treaty
7:04 How Much Gold Is There Really?
8:53 The Plan to Move Glaciers
11:05 How the Deposit Was Formed
14:21 Why It's So Difficult
15:56 The Fall: 2009-2013
18:00 What the Court Really Said
20:20 The Veladero Mirror
22:13 2026: Glacier Law and Treaty
24:32 Three Perspectives
25:59 What to Look For From Now On
SOURCES
Closure Confirmed, Cooperativa: cooperativa.cl/noticias/pais/medioambiente/tribunal-ambiental-confirma-clausura-total-y-definitiva-de-pascua-lama/2020-09-17/102235.html
Charges accepted, Radio U. de Chile: radio.uchile.cl/2020/09/17/pascua-lama-tribunal-ambiental-confirma-clausura-y-cierre-de-la-mina/
Lawsuit for glacier damage rejected, Environmental Court: tribunalambiental.cl/no-se-acredito-dano-a-glaciares-tribunal-rechazo-demanda-contra-compania-minera-nevada-spa-por-proyecto-pascua-lama/
2013 Sanction, SMA: portal.sma.gob.cl/index.php/sma-sanciona-a-pascua-lama-por-incumplimientos-a-su-rca/
Cost multiplied by nine, La Tercera: latercera.com/noticia/como-el-costo-de-pascua-lama-se-multiplico-por-nueve/
Owner history, SEC report: sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001323404/000117625610000277/exhibit99-1.htm
Project fact sheet: center-hre.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/ficha-tecnica-Pascua-Lama.pdf
Glaciologists in 2005, El Mostrador: elmostrador.cl/noticias/pais/2005/10/27/cientificos-extranjeros-determinan-que-no-existen-glaciares-en-pascua-lama/
Geology of the deposit, USGS: pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70029125
Age of the El Indio-Pascua strip: segweb.org/Common/Uploaded%20Files/pdf/brian-j-skinner-award/2002-bissig--p971.pdf
Veladero spill, FARN: farn.org.ar/cronologia-del-derrame-en-veladero/
Reform of the Glaciers Law: palabrasdelderecho.com.ar/articulo/6705/El-Gobierno-promulgo-la-reforma-de-la-ley-de-glaciares
Reactivation of the treaty, El Citizen: elciudadano.com/especiales/mineria-y-energia/vuelve-el-fantasma-de-pascua-lama-kast-y-milei-reactivan-tratado-minero-y-encienden-alertas-por-los-glaciares/08/10/
Barrick's Plans for Lama: mineriaydesarrollo.com/noticias/2021/09/02/5652-exploracion-en-lama-y-sondajes-en-chile-vuelve-pascua-lama-los-planes-de-barrick
ABOUT THIS VIDEO
The images are reconstructions and illustrations created with artificial intelligence; the narration is synthetic voice. Some of the information comes from public sources and may not be fully verified or may change over time. The value of gold was calculated using the October 2026 price. Some figures, such as the ore grade, are our own calculations based on project data. If you find an error, please let us know in the comments: we'll review it.
Subscribe to Bajo América Latina and tell us in the comments where you're watching from: which side of the Andes are you on?
Pascua Lama, Barrick Gold, Chilean gold, Argentine gold, Veladero, Glaciers Law, Andean glaciers, Chile-Argentina mining treaty, Huasco Valley, San Juan mining, Jáchal, gold deposit, mining in the Andes, geology
#PascuaLama #Gold #Chile #Argentina
20 Comments
Cuando se recorre en avión el lugar se encuentran cientos de montañas y desde La Serena en avioneta para llegar a Pascua Lama son media hora.
Yo trabajé ahí poco tiempo, renuncié por temas de salud, la altura y el frío.
50 grados Celsius bajo cero en invierno.
Aunque había trabajado en Collahuasi y Mantos de Oro sobre 4.000 mts. De altura. Pascua Lama fue más complejo.
Los cuidados de medio ambiente eran muy estrictos. Mayor que en mineras como algunas más famosas de Chile que no voy a mencionar.
Pero siempre dudé si el agua del valle llegaba justo del sector de Pascua Lama. Es muy rebuscado como decimos en Chile.
Es fácil armar escándalo con la prensa y abogados.
Si había problemas con el polvo y el glaciar que estaba cerca pero iban a comprar cañones de agua para atrapar el polvo.
El 80% del mineral está bajo territorio chileno.
Me gustó la empresa Barrick.
La jefatura muy profesional.
Yo trabajé en mantenimiento.
Observen y vean , como los politicos y gobernantes chilenos , de igual modo, se involucra en negocios , de explotaciones de minerales.
Esa mina de PASCUA LAMA tiene querella por el minero chileno que descubrio el yacimiento, y los que venden el producto , son mafua ante los tribunales chileno, encontra , Don JORGE LOPEZ HANDIA.
LOS REPRESENTANTES CHILENOS , BALTAZARES EN VENTA DE ALGO QUE NO ESTA LIMPIO EN DOCUMENTO, AUN LA PROPIEDAD ESTA ANTE LOS TRIBUNALES.
CHILE DEBAJO DE LA MEZA.
ARICA.
,
Pascua Lama: 18 millones de onzas de oro bajo la frontera que nadie pudo sacar
Bajo América Latina
30,207 views
Pascua Lama: Eighteen Million Ounces of Gold Beneath the Border Between Chile and Argentina, an $8.5 Billion Budget, and Not a Single Ingot Produced.
High in the Andes, at nearly 5,000 meters, a gold and silver deposit was bisected by the border. To exploit it, two countries signed a mining treaty. A tunnel was dug under the mountain range, and plans were made to move glaciers. In 2020, a Chilean court ordered its complete and permanent closure. In this video, we read what the ruling actually says, how the gold was formed, why water was the real problem, what happened at the neighboring Veladero mine, and why Pascua Lama resurfaced in the conversation in 2026 with the reform of Argentina's Glacier Law.
CHAPTERS
0:00 Gold Beneath an Unseen Line
1:57 Where is Pascua Lama?
3:50 The Discovery: 1977
5:22 The 1997 Mining Treaty
7:04 How Much Gold Is There Really?
8:53 The Plan to Move Glaciers
11:05 How the Deposit Was Formed
14:21 Why It's So Difficult
15:56 The Fall: 2009-2013
18:00 What the Court Really Said
20:20 The Veladero Mirror
22:13 2026: Glacier Law and Treaty
24:32 Three Perspectives
25:59 What to Look For From Now On
SOURCES
Closure Confirmed, Cooperativa: cooperativa.cl/noticias/pais/medioambiente/tribunal-ambiental-confirma-clausura-total-y-definitiva-de-pascua-lama/2020-09-17/102235.html
Charges accepted, Radio U. de Chile: radio.uchile.cl/2020/09/17/pascua-lama-tribunal-ambiental-confirma-clausura-y-cierre-de-la-mina/
Lawsuit for glacier damage rejected, Environmental Court: tribunalambiental.cl/no-se-acredito-dano-a-glaciares-tribunal-rechazo-demanda-contra-compania-minera-nevada-spa-por-proyecto-pascua-lama/
2013 Sanction, SMA: portal.sma.gob.cl/index.php/sma-sanciona-a-pascua-lama-por-incumplimientos-a-su-rca/
Cost multiplied by nine, La Tercera: latercera.com/noticia/como-el-costo-de-pascua-lama-se-multiplico-por-nueve/
Owner history, SEC report: sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001323404/000117625610000277/exhibit99-1.htm
Project fact sheet: center-hre.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/ficha-tecnica-Pascua-Lama.pdf
Glaciologists in 2005, El Mostrador: elmostrador.cl/noticias/pais/2005/10/27/cientificos-extranjeros-determinan-que-no-existen-glaciares-en-pascua-lama/
Geology of the deposit, USGS: pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70029125
Age of the El Indio-Pascua strip: segweb.org/Common/Uploaded%20Files/pdf/brian-j-skinner-award/2002-bissig--p971.pdf
Veladero spill, FARN: farn.org.ar/cronologia-del-derrame-en-veladero/
Reform of the Glaciers Law: palabrasdelderecho.com.ar/articulo/6705/El-Gobierno-promulgo-la-reforma-de-la-ley-de-glaciares
Reactivation of the treaty, El Citizen: elciudadano.com/especiales/mineria-y-energia/vuelve-el-fantasma-de-pascua-lama-kast-y-milei-reactivan-tratado-minero-y-encienden-alertas-por-los-glaciares/08/10/
Barrick's Plans for Lama: mineriaydesarrollo.com/noticias/2021/09/02/5652-exploracion-en-lama-y-sondajes-en-chile-vuelve-pascua-lama-los-planes-de-barrick
ABOUT THIS VIDEO
The images are reconstructions and illustrations created with artificial intelligence; the narration is synthetic voice. Some of the information comes from public sources and may not be fully verified or may change over time. The value of gold was calculated using the October 2026 price. Some figures, such as the ore grade, are our own calculations based on project data. If you find an error, please let us know in the comments: we'll review it.
Subscribe to Bajo América Latina and tell us in the comments where you're watching from: which side of the Andes are you on?
Pascua Lama, Barrick Gold, Chilean gold, Argentine gold, Veladero, Glaciers Law, Andean glaciers, Chile-Argentina mining treaty, Huasco Valley, San Juan mining, Jáchal, gold deposit, mining in the Andes, geology
#PascuaLama #Gold #Chile #Argentina