MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Argentine congress fearful Falklands' new port could overshadow Ushuaia
The request was supported by fourteen Senators. 
The current port facilities in Stanley identified as FIPASS (Pic Arvid Mjønes) The Argentine congress is restless and is concerned since the Falkland Islands started to build its new deep water port, fearing, besides the usual cacophony of claims, that the Islands could replace Ushuaia as the main access to Antarctica.
With this in mind a group of opposition lawmakers have asked the Executive to reveal the degree of knowledge the Argentine Foreign and Defense ministers had of this port project, as well as what actions or presentations will be made before the United Nations.
The request was presented by Tierra del Fuego Senator from the Radical Civic party, Pablo Blanco, who also asked if any formal complaint or explanation were asked from the British embassy in Buenos Aires or through diplomatic channels.
“The purpose of the port in Malvinas is to become the gate of access to Antarctica, a privilege which now belongs to Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego”, argued Senator Blanco.
Malvinas, Antarctica and South Atlantic affairs secretary, Daniel Filmus said the new port project is “illegal and illegitimate” and in violation of UN Resolution 3149, which calls on both sides of the dispute, Argentina and UK, to abstain from any action in the zone.
“With the construction of the port in Stanley, UK looks to consolidate colonialism in Malvinas and the region and to extend its influence over Antarctica by providing logistic services to third countries from Europe with interests in the white continent. Besides they pretend to take advantage with better logistics, of renewable and non renewable natural resources that belong to us, to Argentina”, said Senator Blanco.
“As Argentines we also have to ask ourselves if the intention is not also to provide services to the oil and gas industry, and the fishing vessels involved in illegal activities to plunder our resources”
That is why the federal government was asked to inform if it has plans to build in Tierra del Fuego some project that will allow the supplying of Argentine Antarctic bases and of other countries, and what is the concrete national Antarctic policy.
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Read all commentsAmazing how predictions made many years befor the 1982 war have become true.
Aug 19th, 2021 - 10:12 am +5Many locals back then believed the real reason Argentina made a claim in the 1830's was because even back then they knew that the southern Atlantic Ocean held all future wealth and they wanted it all for themselves. This led to the removal of all the indigenous people and anyone else for that matter in the south of Latin America.
Today a small community of people on a group of islands are the only ones now standing in their way and they are struggling to remove us because of the fact we are not only protected by Britain, but by the fact we are nearly 400 miles out in the Atlantic from their easy reach.
Now they fear because of the fact they can do nothing to stop the islands developing their own economy the Islanders could further threaten their ability to control the prize. That is the gateway to Antartica in the South Atlantic.
Argentina has so mismanaged their own economy they are on the brink of total collapse and the Falkland Islanders who are doing extremely well financially has them clutching at that elusive straw.
Just 3500 inhabitants are able to scare 45 million Argentines is quite an achievement in todays political realm.
Simple answer to all of this is for Argentina to remove it's illegal claim and start working with these very succesful people on the islands and not against them.
Showing aggression only tightens the noose around the neck of the Argentine economy.
Time they came into the 21st century maybe.
Espoecially when the new port is actually nothing to to do with the British Govt either(they only fund defence)- its being paid for by Falkland Islands Govt and us taxpayers.
Aug 19th, 2021 - 10:55 am +5I don't see how improving infrastructure can be seen as breaching and UN resolutions, Danny. Is he also suggesting that building a new extension to the hospital will also impinge on resolutions? And I don't really understand why they might think the port will take traffic away from Ushaia, they don't like British-flagged vessels using their ports, so it makes sense that they have somewhere to berth.
Aug 19th, 2021 - 09:27 am +4As for approaching the Argentine government. Why? They have nothing to with the Falkland Islands Government. Any decisions made on-island have nothing to do with Danny Filmus or anyone else.
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