The controversy surrounding the presence of the UK-flagged tanker VS PROMISE in Tierra del Fuego waters received a strong political and diplomatic response from the Casa Rosada this afternoon. In his usual press conference, presidential spokesperson Adrián Ravier responded to the complaint and the statement of condemnation issued by the governor of Tierra del Fuego, Gustavo Melella , directly referencing a technical and legal report prepared by the Argentine Foreign Ministry .

The spokesperson's statement ratified the factual, technical, and regulatory data revealed in recent hours by Agenda Malvinas : it confirmed that the 228-meter-long tanker operated at the Río Cullen monobuoy (located on the Atlantic coast of the north of Tierra del Fuego); on provincial hydrocarbon resources before docking in Ushuaia and stressed that the responsibility for that docking point lies with the Fuegian Executive itself.

The official position presented by Adrián Ravier

Based on information provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship , Ravier detailed the tanker's route and questioned the position of the Melella administration:

“The VS PROMISE is the oil tanker that loaded crude oil in the Cullen port basin in northern Tierra del Fuego and then stopped in the port of Ushuaia to refuel. In other words, the ship had not only been working in Argentina, but it had come from the province of Tierra del Fuego itself. Furthermore, the single-point mooring buoy is under provincial jurisdiction, so it was the Tierra del Fuego government that authorized the ship's entry in the first place. The ship's actions do not violate any laws ,” the presidential spokesperson asserted.

Ravier also broke down the legal framework of Provincial Law No. 852 ("Gaucho Rivero Law") , settling the legal discussion surrounding the vessel's flag:

"The existing provincial law states that vessels associated with England cannot dock in Tierra del Fuego ports if they are working from the Malvina Islands Basin. In this case, that law does not apply, since the Gaucho Rivero Law does not indiscriminately prohibit the entry into Tierra del Fuego ports of all vessels linked to the United Kingdom. Article 2 of that law applies to those related to the exploration or exploitation of natural resources in the Malvina Islands Basin."

Finally, Ravier flatly ruled out that the logistical stopover at the capital's commercial dock represents a strategic risk:

"For this reason, the authorities of Tierra del Fuego allowed the ship to enter and the national authorities allowed it to refuel in port. There is no loss of sovereignty, there is no risk to Argentina. In any case, the refueling of this ship also generates economic activity within Tierra del Fuego and in any case it is a matter that is under the jurisdiction of the government of Tierra del Fuego . "

Foreign Ministry and Casa Rosada confirm journalistic investigation

The arguments presented by Adrián Ravier at the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs coincide with the operational and satellite transponder (AIS) monitoring guidelines published by this media outlet:

1.    The cargo stop in Río Cullen: The Nation formally recognized that the vessel commercially chartered by the operators of the southern area was not a casual visitor, but was moored at the North Atlantic terminal where the consortium of TotalEnergies , PAE and Harbour Energy (formerly Wintershall Dea) operates.

2.    Non-delegated competence of the Province: By emphasizing that the marine monobuoy belongs to the area of provincial jurisdiction, the Casa Rosada placed the spotlight on the Secretariat of Hydrocarbons of Tierra del Fuego , portfolio responsible for monitoring the volumes pumped, controlling the royalties and stamping the signature on the Certificate of Origin that authorizes the export of the crude to Customs.

3.    The scope of the Gaucho Rivero Law: The Foreign Ministry's opinion ratified that the legislation categorically prohibits logistical support for illegitimate exploration in the Malvinas basin , preventing an international chartering commercial flag from being used as a fallacious argument of sovereignty violation when operating in recognized continental deposits.

The crossroads of the narrative of the Government House

The documentary support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ravier's reply expose the inconsistencies of the statement with which Melella tried to limit the controversy to the intervention of the capital's port by the National Agency of Ports and Navigation (ANPyN).

With the VS PROMISE currently sailing back towards the Cullen monobuoy to attempt to complete the shipment of more than half a million barrels, the Tierra del Fuego government can no longer maintain its administrative silence regarding the oil circuit in the north of the island: the Province must publicly clarify the authorizations granted and make transparent the issuance of the Certificate of Origin that will enable the British-flagged vessel to transport Tierra del Fuego oil to the international market.