Argentina Rejects Criticism Over British Ship Docking in Provincial Port

Argentine Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno has strongly refuted criticism leveled against President Javier Milei's administration regarding the docking of a British ship, the VS Promise, in the port of Ushuaia. The ship's presence in the southern province of Tierra del Fuego, a region whose territory includes the disputed Malvinas Islands, has ignited a political firestorm.

“

Another operation by the opposition and the media

Quirno dismissed the objections, which originated from opposition parties and media outlets, as "another operation by the opposition and the media." He clarified that the VS Promise was chartered by an oil consortium authorized to operate in Argentine waters. The vessel's purpose was to transport crude oil produced in the Austral Marine Basin, sourced from fields operated by TotalEnergies and its partners.

"The ship is a tanker hired to transport crude oil produced in the Austral Marine Basin, in Argentine territory," Quirno explained. He asserted that the province itself oversees these operations, monitoring volumes, controlling cargo, and certifying the origin of exported crude. The stop in Ushuaia, he added, was a "logistical stop" that generated revenue from port services and provided a local economic impact.

“

The ship is a tanker hired to transport crude oil produced in the Austral Marine Basin, in Argentine territory. It came from Río Cullen (a single buoy in open waters), where the oil produced in the Fuegian fields operated by TotalEnergies and its partners is loaded. The province itself acknowledges that it oversees these operations: it measures volumes, controls the load, and certifies the origin of the crude that is exported.

However, the provincial government of Tierra del Fuego, led by Governor Gustavo Melella, had publicly protested the ship's entry, citing a provincial law that prohibits British-flagged vessels from docking or being serviced in its ports. This provincial stance directly conflicts with the national government's authorization. A provincial prosecutor has since ordered Tierra del Fuego to explain its oversight of the operations where the VS Promise loaded crude.

“

So, what was inadmissible? That a ship involved in a Fuegian oil operation, without any connection to the illegitimate authorities of the Malvinas Islands, passed through Ushuaia? The Malvinas Question deserves to be defended with seriousness.

Quirno questioned the basis of the criticism, asking, "So, what was inadmissible? That a ship involved in a Fuegian oil operation, without any connection to the illegitimate authorities of the Malvinas Islands, passed through Ushuaia? The Malvinas Question deserves to be defended with seriousness." President Milei echoed his minister's sentiment, sharing the post and adding, "Disarming operations. Compulsive liars."

“

Disarming operations. Compulsive liars.