Argentina has initiated criminal charges against the energy company Navitas Petroleum and its executives for conducting operations in the Falkland Islands, escalating President Javier Milei's assertive sovereignty claims over the British overseas territory.
The legal action, announced Monday, targets Navitas subsidiaries and partners for allegedly violating Argentine law by holding hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation licenses issued by the United Kingdom. Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno is set to file the complaint, according to a statement from the presidency.
Last week, Milei specifically named the Sea Lion offshore oil project, in which Navitas Petroleum holds a 65 percent stake, as a focus of potential sanctions. He vowed to employ "all the tools of the state: diplomatic, economic, judicial and legal" to impede drilling activities. The Sea Lion field is estimated to contain 1.7 billion barrels of oil.
Milei's administration also announced plans to issue an emergency decree for the construction of a naval base on Tierra del Fuego, the closest Argentine coastline to the islands. "If we do not act swiftly, in a few months they will have the material capacity to access the oil that lies underneath our sea," Milei stated.
President Milei framed the renewed push for the islands, which he described as "ours, by history and by right," within a broader international context. He suggested that "winds of change" were favorable to Argentina's claim, specifically mentioning a potential shift in the U.S. stance following comments from former President Donald Trump. Milei praised Trump's alleged support, stating that the former U.S. president indicated he would not back Britain if Argentina were to invade again.
Argentina's claim to the islands, which it refers to as the Malvinas, has been a contentious issue since its 1982 invasion. The conflict resulted in 907 deaths, including 255 British servicemen.
British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting responded to Milei's statements, asserting that "Britain's commitment to the Falklands is absolute and unshakeable." He characterized Milei's remarks as being more indicative of domestic Argentine politics than of the islands' status, emphasizing that the Falklands are British because the inhabitants choose to be.
Other reactions from the UK included accusations that Milei was "simply posturing" ahead of elections and calls for a review of Britain's Falklands policy. Falklands veteran Simon Weston urged the Prime Minister to engage with Trump to reaffirm the UK's position on the islands' sovereignty.