2006 Mendoza earthquake 2006 Mendoza earthquake The 2006 Mendoza earthquake was a medium-intensity seismic movement in the province of Mendoza, Argentina. It took place at 11:03 AM (UTC-3) on 5 August 2006, and had a magnitude of 5.7 in the Richter scale. Its hypocenter was centered at , 35 km south-southeast of Mendoza, the provincial capital, exactly at the town of "Ugarteche, Luján de Cuyo", and at a depth of 33 km. The earthquake was felt in the provinces of Mendoza (V–VI in the Mercalli intensity scale), San Juan, San Luis (IV Mercalli), La Rioja, and Córdoba (III Mercalli). It damaged about 600
Catamarca Province vineyards, olive, citrus, cotton and tobacco, for which the government gives tax cuts to facilitate economic growth , but so far with poor results and no oversight. Tourism is a lesser contributor to the economy in Catamarca, with more than 3,465 beds in hotels and other types of accommodation. Although high hopes are focused in this industry, lack of infrastructure, service-oriented and trained businesses and an overall endemic corruption culture, tourism has yet to become a strong element the local economy. Mountains and geological formation are the main attraction, with sights such as Antofagasta de la Sierra, Balcones del Valle,