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Argentina Files Criminal Complaint Over Falklands Oil Drilling
(MENAFN) Argentina has launched a formal criminal complaint against a group of international energy firms, accusing them of drilling for oil and gas near the Falkland Islands under British authorization without Argentine consent.
The complaint, announced Monday, was filed in federal court by Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno, with support from Treasury Attorney General Sebastian Amerio. It names Israel-based Navitas Petroleum, Canada's JHI Associates and Eco Atlantic Oil and Gas, along with individual directors, managers and shareholders tied to the companies. Argentine officials allege the firms conducted unauthorized hydrocarbon, oil and natural gas exploration in the North Malvinas Basin.
President Javier Milei's office defended the move, describing it as a "concrete action to protect natural resources and safeguard the sovereignty" of Argentina.
Tensions over the Falklands — known in Argentina as the Islas Malvinas — have resurfaced as offshore drilling projects inch closer to full production. The British-administered archipelago sits roughly 483 kilometers (300 miles) off Argentina's coast. Buenos Aires maintains that Britain's control of the islands, dating back to 1833, amounts to illegal occupation.
The legal filing comes alongside a broader push by Milei to reinforce Argentina's defensive posture. The president has signed a directive ordering Economy Minister Luis Andres Caputo to prioritize funding for an integrated naval base, a facility intended to bolster maritime security and territorial defense.
Monday's complaint builds on sanctions proceedings Argentina opened Friday against 45 individuals and entities linked to the drilling activity. Milei has separately cautioned that the Sea Lion offshore oil project represents an imminent threat to the country's natural resources. London, for its part, has brushed aside Argentina's legal actions as domestic political maneuvering, and the companies involved have indicated they intend to continue drilling under their UK-issued licenses.
The complaint, announced Monday, was filed in federal court by Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno, with support from Treasury Attorney General Sebastian Amerio. It names Israel-based Navitas Petroleum, Canada's JHI Associates and Eco Atlantic Oil and Gas, along with individual directors, managers and shareholders tied to the companies. Argentine officials allege the firms conducted unauthorized hydrocarbon, oil and natural gas exploration in the North Malvinas Basin.
President Javier Milei's office defended the move, describing it as a "concrete action to protect natural resources and safeguard the sovereignty" of Argentina.
Tensions over the Falklands — known in Argentina as the Islas Malvinas — have resurfaced as offshore drilling projects inch closer to full production. The British-administered archipelago sits roughly 483 kilometers (300 miles) off Argentina's coast. Buenos Aires maintains that Britain's control of the islands, dating back to 1833, amounts to illegal occupation.
The legal filing comes alongside a broader push by Milei to reinforce Argentina's defensive posture. The president has signed a directive ordering Economy Minister Luis Andres Caputo to prioritize funding for an integrated naval base, a facility intended to bolster maritime security and territorial defense.
Monday's complaint builds on sanctions proceedings Argentina opened Friday against 45 individuals and entities linked to the drilling activity. Milei has separately cautioned that the Sea Lion offshore oil project represents an imminent threat to the country's natural resources. London, for its part, has brushed aside Argentina's legal actions as domestic political maneuvering, and the companies involved have indicated they intend to continue drilling under their UK-issued licenses.
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