Milei set to unveil Malvinas sanctions bill for firms

President Javier Milei is expected to announce in a nationwide broadcast on Thursday that his government will send a bill to Congress seeking the introduction of sanctions for companies that conduct or support activities in the waters near the Malvinas (Falkland) Islands without previous Argentine authorisation. 

According to local media reports, the bill is linked to the development of the Sea Lion offshore oil project in the waters near the islands. The project is being led by British company Rockhopper Exploration and Israel's Navitas Petroleum, which plans to extract hydrocarbons from waters near the British-controlled archipelago, over which Argentina claims sovereignty.

The project's development has once again focused attention on economic activities in the waters close to the islands.

The government's proposal would include sanctions for Argentine firms that provide logistical support or services to companies conducting activities in the islands without authorisation from the Argentine state, said government sources to the Noticias Argentinas news agency and Perfil.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump suggested that the United States could review its position over the British-controlled archipelago, which Argentina claims as its own.

"I always review every position. That's just one of many," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked if the United States was reviewing its position on the islands.

Trump’s comment came in the wake of media reports claiming that Washington had threatened to withdraw its support for Britain's sovereignty claim if London does not increase defence spending.

The presidential broadcast to be delivered on Thursday will reaffirm Argentina's sovereignty claim, reinforce its opposition to the unilateral exploitation of natural resources in the disputed area and stress that the recovery of the islands must be pursued through diplomatic means.

– TIMES/NA/PERFIL