The controversy over LATAM's flight between Punta Arenas and the Malvina Islands continues to escalate. The core of the conflict lies in the airline's refusal to publicly acknowledge the official name of Ushuaia International Airport on its global website: "Malvinas Argentinas . "

In response to the company's persistent stance, the mayor of the city of Ushuaia, Walter Vuoto, spoke out through his account on the social network X. The mayor described LATAM 's attitude as a "direct attack" on history, the memory of the heroes of 1982 and national sovereignty .

In his message, Vuoto stated: "Ushuaia is the capital of the Malvinas Islands, and our airport proudly bears the name Malvinas Argentinas. LATAM's decision to erase that name, at the request of the Kelpers, is a direct attack on our history, the memory of the heroes of 1982, and national sovereignty. In Tierra del Fuego, we will not allow ourselves to be silenced. The name Malvinas Argentinas is the flag, the identity, the dignity, and the pride of an entire people."

🇦🇷 Ushuaia is the capital of the Malvinas Islands and our airport proudly bears the name Malvinas Argentinas.

That LATAM has decided to erase that name, at the request of the Kelpers, is a direct attack on our history, on the memory of the heroes of 1982, and on sovereignty…

The inconsistency of the provincial government

While Mayor Vuoto has joined the public condemnation, Governor Gustavo Melella's response has not generated any change of attitude among the airline's top authorities . On Saturday, Melella issued an ultimatum to the airline, threatening: " If LATAM does not recognize the name of our airport, then it can say goodbye to Ushuaia." However, 72 hours after those strong public statements, the promised concrete actions have not materialized. And although the governor later announced that he would have sent a formal complaint to the airline, there is no record of its submission, and Agenda Malvinas has not responded to inquiries made to the governor himself .

The governor's high-flown exclamations, in the face of the Fuegian state's lack of concrete action, reveal a worrying contradiction. The ultimatum, once forceful, loses weight and credibility in the face of undeniable passivity. The situation not only highlights the lack of a coordinated response, but also raises questions about the provincial government's ability to assert its position in the face of pressure from international actors. The airline's silence, in the face of at least a disrespectful attitude, is a clear indicator that the will of the British usurper prevails.

The flight amid controversy

Amid this political dispute, the flight, initially canceled on Saturday the 13th due to strong winds, finally arrived in Ushuaia on Sunday the 14th under a major security operation led by the Airport Security Police and members of the Navy. Amid the tension, some 30 people, mostly war veterans, boarded the plane bound for the NATO military base on the islands. Their presence on such a controversial flight underscores the deep sensitivity of the issue in Argentine society, which remains on alert for any act that implies a surrender in the defense of its sovereignty.

This coming Saturday, LATAM will make a reverse flight. It will fly from the Malvina Islands to Ushuaia, as an intermediate stop on the way to Punta Arenas. The flight, which will arrive in the capital of Tierra del Fuego, is scheduled to touch down at 4:32 p.m. The war veterans who boarded last Sunday will return to reconnect with a past that much of Argentina has not forgotten .