‘Gas station dog’ Poze goes missing during motorhome trip in Argentina

Gustavo Fuentes, a resident of Esquel, was found dead in his motorhome in downtown San Martín de los Andes. An autopsy determined the cause of death as a heart attack. Inside the vehicle, his six-year-old golden retriever was found, having stayed by his side. The dog had gone without food or water for about three days before being placed with a new family.

A family of three — an Argentine from Córdoba, his Chilean wife, and their daughter born in Argentina who spent part of her childhood in Brazil — travels in a motorhome purchased in Brazil. They have toured several provinces of Argentina and Chile, and lived in Brazil for four years. The daughter studies remotely at a school in Santo Pipó and occasionally attends in person.

During the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico, Argentine fans are selling their homes and taking out loans to purchase motorhomes to see Lionel Messi play live. Each motorhome costs between $20,000 and $50,000, and fans form convoys traveling up to 400 km per day along the Pan-American Highway. The vehicles are equipped with beds, kitchens, satellite TV and solar panels. One fan, 45-year-old truck driver Lorenzo Rodriguez, mortgaged his repair shop to buy a motorhome and set off with three friends.

A woman named Amalia, 68, bought a compact motorhome and began traveling across Argentina. She sold her furniture, donated books, and left her cat with a neighbor. Amalia established safety rules: leave early, stop before dusk, sleep where there are other lights, and report her location to two trusted contacts.

Patricia Guzmán, born in Godoy Cruz, Mendoza, and moved to Canada at age two, intends to drive her motorhome from Canada to Argentina in February 2026. The 56-year-old professional truck driver has covered about 3.5 million miles over 30 years. She plans the trip after saving money by working two-year stints without long breaks. Her motorhome is a converted school bus named 'La Nena'. After a TV interview on Canal 7, Mendoza residents began offering help and accommodation.

Provincial and municipal authorities held a working meeting in Caviahue to advance the regulation of tourism in motorhomes and travel trailers. The goal is to organize this growing travel mode, protect the environment, and improve coexistence between residents and visitors. Representatives from tourism, environmental, and law enforcement agencies participated.