Resumen
The thick-skinned Malargüe fold-and-thrust belt characterizes the Andes in southernMendoza province, Argentina. This complex structure is the result of the combination of the Andeandeformation and inherited fabrics of the substratum. A sector of this fold-and-thrust belt has beenmapped in detail to evaluate the controls on the Andean deformation. These controls include the presenceof basement pre-existing structures and the rheology of the deformed units, especially the occurrenceof a thick gypsum horizon that worked as a boundary layer where the cover is detached, andlocally produced important diapirism.