Former U.S. clothing entrepreneur Douglas Tompkins has felt plenty of nationalistic pushback over the years while buying up large tracts of land for conservation in Chile and Argentina. But Tompkins, founder of the Esprit clothing line, still must be surprised at the extent of the maneuvering against him recently in Argentina’s Corrientes province. Hoping to block his conservation purchases there, Tompkins’ opponents in June amended the provincial constitution. Using a constituent assembly convened primarily to address gubernatorial terms, they inserted a new article, 61, prohibiting foreigners and corporations controlled by them from buying lands “in security areas or in protected areas or [areas] that constitute strategic resources.” Lest there be any doubt the change was aimed at Tompkins, another article, 66, was added declaring the... [Log in to read more]