On 17 March 2025, in San Carlos de Bariloche (Rio Negro), more than 60 tour guides protested in front of the mayor's office and the Civic Center to repudiate the deregulation of their activity, which caused the tour guide service to no longer be mandatory within national parks.

Summary

On March 17, 2025, approximately 60 tourism guides held a peaceful protest in San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina, opposing the deregulation of mandatory guide services in national parks. This was a low-risk regional protest with no direct supply-chain disruption.

Supply-chain impact

• Bariloche is a major Argentine tourist destination centered on tourism services, not a manufacturing or raw material production base, so direct supply-chain impact is limited
• Río Negro Province is adjacent to oil and gas production regions, but the distance between the protest area and energy facilities keeps immediate energy supply disruption risk low
• If backlash against tourism industry deregulation spreads, indirect economic activity contraction is possible due to regional service sector instability

Watch points

• Need to track whether labor sector backlash against service industry deregulation policies spreads across Argentina
• Monitor potential spillover of protest activities to surrounding energy facility areas including Vaca Muerta shale gas field