The port of Ushuaia, globally recognized as the gateway for cruise ships to Antarctica and the main logistics hub in the South Atlantic, violates the historic claim of national sovereignty, the First Transitory Provision of the National Constitution, and current provincial regulations by serving, on the one hand, as an essential link in the flourishing cruise industry and, on the other, generating revenue for the British colony established in the Malvina Islands.

After months of verbal requests and unfulfilled promises of data delivery by provincial officials, Agenda Malvinas formalized a written request for information to the president of the Provincial Port Directorate (DPP) of Tierra del Fuego AeIAS, Roberto Marcial Murcia . The objective is to quantify and expose the maritime movement between Ushuaia and the Malvina Islands since 2011 to date , seeking that the Right to Information breaks the institutional silence on the non-compliance with the regulations that protect Argentine sovereignty .

Sovereignty ignored by the non-compliance of governments

The request for information submitted by Agenda Malvinas is based, on the one hand, on the constitutional obligation of the Argentine Republic to be consistent with the reaffirmation of Argentine rights over the Malvinas, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands (First Transitory Provision), and on the other, to report on the systematic violation of Provincial Law No. 852 , known as "Gaucho Rivero" , sanctioned in 2011. This law prohibits the mooring, stay, supply or logistics operations in Tierra del Fuego territory of British-flagged or convenience vessels that carry out tasks of exploitation of natural resources, or military vessels in the Malvinas basin.

While the law focuses on the illegal exploitation of fish and oil resources, its spirit of sovereign defense is systematically violated by the tourist circuit that uses Ushuaia as a base. Tourism in the Malvinas is the third or fourth most important economic sector in the colony—behind fishing (58% of GDP) and financial services—generating revenues of nearly US$20 million annually. The record influx of 73,191 cruise ship passengers to the Malvinas last season cannot be understood without the logistics and fundamental support provided by the port of Tierra del Fuego's capital.

The situation took on a dimension of public controversy on August 28, when the Secretary of Malvinas, Antarctica, South Atlantic and International Affairs of the province, Andrés Dachary , in an interview on Radio Provincia de Ushuaia , acknowledged that "every summer we see dozens of cruise ships depart from Ushuaia towards the islands." These official statements are, in themselves, proof that the violation of the Gaucho Rivero Law is a fact known and tacitly permitted by the official leadership, which constitutes a direct breach of its legal mandates.

The right to public information

To unravel the scope of this situation, The note sent by Agenda Malvinas to the DPP invokes Law No. 653 of the Tierra del Fuego Province (AeIAS) , which guarantees the Right to Public Information . It requests the President of the autonomous entity to provide details of all maritime activity from August 2011 to the present, as well as forecasts for the 2025-2026 season.

Vessel Identification: Name, type of vessel, cargo and/or passenger capacity and, crucially, the flag of origin and operator.

Maritime routes: Details of the departure and/or arrival dates of vessels that sailed or made integrated circuits between the Port of Ushuaia and the Malvina Islands , the States Islands, South Georgia, the South Sandwich Islands, Antarctica and Punta Arenas (Chile).

Passenger Count: The exact number of people, passengers, and crews who embarked and disembarked at the Port of Ushuaia within these circuits.

The request seeks official figures demonstrating how many cruise ships, despite the express mandates of the Argentine Constitution and current laws, have generated revenue in Ushuaia and, at the same time, have directly fueled the economy of the British colonial enclave.

The Provincial Port Authority's response should clarify whether the province prioritizes the inflow of foreign currency over the constitutional mandate and the law that upholds national sovereignty. The clock is ticking for Roberto Murcia to respond within the legally established timeframe.