Falklands ‘bashing’, a listing Milei appeals to an old Argentine political habit
Wednesday, September 17th 2025 – 11:12 UTC
President Javier Milei and his influential sister Karina
Last Friday following a negative electoral week for the government of Argentine president Javier Milei, which forced him to reshape his economic program, and open the tight purse of the budget, looking ahead to the midterm election in October, (and ahead of the arrival of the new British ambassador in Buenos Aires), the Falkland Islands, this time hydrocarbons development, were again the target of Argentine political frustration.
In effect on Sunday 7 September, in Argentina’s main electoral circumscription, the province of Buenos Aires representing almost 40% of the national electoral roll, President Milei and his influential sister Karina suffered an unexpected backlash from the Peronist opposition (despite all previous opinion polls to the contrary), which rattled his extreme liberal orthodox economic program and threatens the chances of creating a strong congressional presence, which he lacks.
Political advisors have since convinced the stubborn Milei to reconsider the situation with the promise of more funds for sensitive areas in education, health and the disabled, but also following Argentine political tradition it was a great opportunity to overshadow by bashing the Falklands oil industry program, as presented in the following release.
“The Argentine Foreign Ministry iterated its most strong rejection to the illegal activities of Navitas Petroleum Lp., in the Falkland/Malvinas Islands which is operating illegitimately in Argentine territory without the hydrocarbons exploration and exploitation permits allocated by the competent authority from the Argentine Republic
“Argentina reminds that all unilateral exploration and exploitation of natural resources, renewable and nonrenewable, in the disputed area is contrary to Resolution 2065 (XX) and concordant from the UN General Assembly and the Special Committee on Decolonization. Such resolutions acknowledge the existence of a sovereignty dispute between Argentina and UK, and call on both governments to resume negotiations to reach, in the shortest time possible, a peaceful solution to the controversy.
“This included the illegitimate ‘Statement on Environment Impact”, and “The assessment on the Socioeconomic impact” of the Sea Lion project, the awarding of pretended production “licenses”, the contracting of service suppliers, like the recent announcements from Navitas on the raising of funds for the development of the hydrocarbons reservoir in the North Malvinas Basin, offshore the Falklands/Malvinas.
“These measures also constitute unilateral and illegitimate actions from UK incompatible with Resolution 31/49 from the UN General Assembly which calls on both sides to abstain from introducing unilateral modifications in the situation while the Islands are subject to a negotiation process recommended by the pertinent UN resolutions.
“Likewise it recalls that according to the Argentine Energy Secretary Resolution 240/2022, from 18 April 2022, the company Navitas Petroleum Lp was declared clandestine and its activities classified as illegal for involvement in hydrocarbon operations in Argentine territory without the authorization from the competent authorities.
“The Argentine government iterates that it does not recognize any competence or jurisdiction from other authority than the Argentine to establish conditions that enable activities linked to hydrocarbons in the mentioned areas. Thus and in full conformity of International Law, the Argentine Republic reserves the right to adopt all the additional measures it considers necessary to safe guard its sovereign rights and interests. In this framework Argentina calls on the referred company and other entities to abstain in financing or participating in such illegal activities, which are subject to legal actions, both administrative and judicial in accordance with Argentine norms.
“Argentina reaffirms once again its legitimate and imprescriptible sovereignty rights over the Malvinas, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands, and adjoining maritime spaces.”
