A Mooring That Ignites the Sovereignty Dispute
On Monday, August 24, 2026, the VS Promise, a British-flagged tanker, docked at the port of Ushuaia, in the province of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica, and South Atlantic Islands. The operation, authorized by the national port administration, triggered a strong reaction from the provincial government, which repudiated it and called it “inadmissible”.
The port of Ushuaia has been intervened by the national government since January 2026, through the National Agency of Ports and Navigation (ANPyN). The intervention was justified on grounds of sovereignty and the strategic nature of the terminal. However, the arrival of a British vessel at its docks created a contradiction that the Fuegian executive did not let pass.
“It is inadmissible that, invoking reasons of sovereignty, the port is intervened and then operations of British-flagged vessels are authorized,” stated provincial government officials.
The Gaucho Rivero Law: A Legal Obstacle for British Vessels
The province of Tierra del Fuego has the Provincial Law 852, known as the Gaucho Rivero Law, enacted in 2011, which prohibits the stay, mooring, and supply of British-flagged vessels in the province's ports. This norm is part of Argentina's sovereignty claim over the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, and South Sandwich Islands, which are part of the provincial territory according to the National Constitution and the Provincial Constitution.
The United Kingdom maintains its occupation of the islands, while Argentina sustains its sovereignty claim. In this context, the arrival of the VS Promise in Ushuaia is seen as a provocation and a violation of provincial regulations.
The VS Promise's Route and Doubts About Its Destination
According to data from the Marine Traffic platform, the VS Promise was previously at the Río Cullen terminal, in northern Tierra del Fuego, where it loaded crude oil before heading to Ushuaia. The provincial Secretary of Malvinas, Antarctica, South Atlantic Islands, and International Affairs, Andrés Dachary, stated that the vessel's final destination and the contracting oil company are unknown, but assured that “we will find out”.
The presence of such vessels in Argentine waters is not an isolated event. In July 2026, the British patrol vessel HMS Medway sailed from the Falklands to Chile through Argentine waters, prompting a diplomatic protest from the national government.
Port Workers Denounce Lack of Transparency
The administrative accounting director of the port, Gastón Castillo, denounced that the intervention did not notify the province about the vessel's arrival and warned about the situation of the 82 reassigned workers and potential salary issues. “There is no transparency in management,” said Castillo, who also demanded a solution for the port employees' labor situation.
Claims and Future Actions
The Government of Tierra del Fuego demands that the national executive immediately and publicly report the criteria that authorized the operation. It also demands the end of the intervention and the restoration of port administration to the province.
The province will continue with legal actions against the intervention and has called on all public powers and citizens to defend the strategic nature of the port of Ushuaia. The dispute over sovereignty and control of Fuegian ports remains open, and this episode marks a new chapter in the tension between the Nation and the province.