MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina: Chubut Governor threatens to cut oil supply if federal funds are withheld

“We will use all the tools we have to defend ourselves,” Torres warned

Chubut Governor Ignacio Torres Friday warned Argentine President Javier Milei that his province would stop exporting oil if the federal administration insisted on “improperly withholding half of the [so-called] co-participation” funding. “If on Tuesday there is no resolution from the courts, we will not export even one more barrel of oil,” threatened Torres, whose stance was endorsed by several fellow governors and also by Buenos Aires Mayor Jorge Macri.

During his appearance at the celebrations of the 123rd anniversary of the city of Comodoro Rivadavia, Torres insisted he would not be letting the Libertarian administration trample “on our heads.”

He accused the federal Economy Ministry of improperly withholding the money “when the province is willing to pay a debt” for which a debt swap under better conditions was proposed to the Central Bank, ·which has not been approved so far.“ Torres also blamed his predecessor Mariano Arcioni for getting into debt at very high rates.

”We hope that this is an administrative matter, not a form of intimidation because if this is the case and on Tuesday or Wednesday there is no favorable resolution, we will choose not to export even one barrel of oil,“ the Governor underlined. ”Chubut is the fourth exporting province and we are not going to allow them to step on our heads this way,“ he insisted while denouncing the federal administration's onslaught ”against the provinces.“

”We agree on many things with the national government because we want it to do well, but we are not going to allow that we are not given the same possibility as the Nation to exchange debt,“ he explained. ”We are confident that it will be solved, but if not, we will use all the tools we have to defend ourselves and we will win this fight because the law is one and it is for everyone.“

In Buenos Aires, the federal government described Torres' warning as a ”Chavista threat“ and announced that ”if the governor goes ahead with his idea,“ he would be held accountable before the courts. ”In no way will the National Executive Branch contribute to the financing of the wastefulness of the provinces that refuse to lower unnecessary expenses, eliminate dispensable political positions, and govern with the austerity that the inherited economic crisis requires,” read a statement from the Office of the President (OPRA).

“If the governors do not have enough money, they will have to drastically reduce public spending as the National Government is doing,” the communiqué went on while warning that there was no need for Governor Torres to “set any time limit to carry out his extortion plan. Proceed with your threat immediately and take care of the consequences in Justice,” the National Government dared him.

The document also stated that Chief Executives Governors Axel Kicillof (Buenos Aires), Ricardo Quintela (La Rioja), Rogelio Frigerio (Entre Ríos), Torres, and Jorge Macri needed to “understand that Argentina has chosen a change.”

“The era in which the caste wasted the resources of the Argentines and then went to ask for handouts to the Central Bank in exchange for political favors is over,” the OPRA elaborated.

“We are at a historic moment. At a turning point for our Nation. Each one will have to choose on which side he/she wants to be: Whether on the side of those who want Argentina to remain the same or on the side of the majority of Argentines, who chose to live in Liberty,” the note added.

“The Office of the President regrets that Governor Torres refuses to understand that there is no money and, consequently, launches into issuing a threat of a Chavista nature backed by Axel Kicillof and the rest of the Governors, who expressed their agreement with the advance on private property and the expropriation of companies that such threat necessarily implies,” the OPRA underlined.