A Docking That Ignited the Malvinas Dispute
On August 24, 2026, the British-flagged oil tanker VS Promise, registered in the Isle of Man (United Kingdom), docked at the port of Ushuaia at 7:08 AM. The operation, which lasted until the early hours of the next day, triggered a political controversy mixing sovereignty, port management, and the long-standing dispute over the Falkland Islands (known in Argentina as the Malvinas).
The vessel, measuring 228.6 meters in length and 32.57 meters in width, with a capacity to carry around 73,800 tons of oil, had loaded crude oil at the Río Cullen single buoy mooring in the Austral Basin, north of Tierra del Fuego. That operation was approved by the provincial government. The VS Promise then headed to Ushuaia for logistical supplies and departed during the early hours of August 25 toward the Beagle Channel, with Río Cullen as its destination again.
The Province's Stance: Repudiation and Demand
Governor Gustavo Melella repudiated the docking, calling it inadmissible. In an official statement, the provincial government argued that the presence of the British vessel contradicts the reasons for the national intervention of the port, which was justified on grounds of sovereignty and strategic interests.
The province demanded public explanations about the authorization criteria and called for the end of the intervention and the return of port administration to provincial hands. Additionally, Melella's government invoked Provincial Law 852, known as the Gaucho Rivero Law, which restricts the docking of British vessels linked to the Malvinas Basin.
Vice-Governor Mónica Urquiza also criticized the national decision, while the provincial Secretary of Malvinas, Andrés Dachary, described the port management as chaotic and highlighted that the Isle of Man is part of the British Crown.
The Nation's Response: Legality and Jurisdiction
Presidential spokesperson Adrián Ravier defended the operation, stating that it does not violate any law. According to Ravier, the Gaucho Rivero Law does not prohibit the entry of all British vessels, but only those operating in the Malvinas Basin. In this case, the VS Promise operated in the Austral Basin (Río Cullen), so the law does not apply.
Ravier also noted that the vessel was approved by the provincial government, since the Río Cullen mooring is under provincial jurisdiction, and its stop in Ushuaia was purely logistical.
Meanwhile, the national port intervenor, Juan Avellaneda, reiterated that the provincial law does not apply to this case and that the responsibility for the entry lies with the provincial government. The Argentine Navy also found no reasons to prevent the docking, given that the vessel did not come from the Falkland Islands.
Reactions in Congress
The incident also reached the National Congress. Deputies from Unión por la Patria, including Andrea Freites and Agustina Propato, filed requests for reports and repudiation projects, demanding details on the docking authorization and its connection to the sovereignty dispute.
Context: An Intervened Port
The port of Ushuaia has been under national intervention since January 2026, managed by the National Agency for Ports and Navigation (ANPyN). The measure was justified by the nation for reasons of sovereignty and strategic interests, but it also responded to allegations of financial irregularities and fund diversion by the provincial administration.
This clash between the nation and the province occurs in a context of political tension, where the Malvinas dispute remains a sensitive issue. The Gaucho Rivero Law, enacted in 2012, establishes restrictions on the docking of British vessels operating in the Malvinas Basin, but its interpretation is now at the center of the controversy.
Meanwhile, the VS Promise continues its route, and the discussion over sovereignty and port management remains open, with the province demanding answers and the nation defending its actions.