In a note published yesterday afternoon by the main Argentine newspaper, signed by journalist Natasha Niebieskikwiat ; the specialist of the media in international politics and exclusive on the Malvinas Question, states that the Government of Javier Milei “ is in the final phase of analysis on the technological and geopolitical impact of the radar located in Tierra del Fuego and installed by the company LeoLabs.”
And in agreement he asserts that according to these studies; the new authorities of the Undersecretariat of Telecommunications and Connectivity of the Office of the Chief of Staff of the Nation, “…now: they consider that it is not of British origin but American and that it does not have military uses or purposes as had been made known but entirely scientific.” Understanding, furthermore; that its only function is to sweep, monitor and search for space, with the aim of “cleaning up satellite debris.”
Clarín 's version has a strong political impact in the province of Tierra del Fuego. Even more so when last week the government of Gustavo Melella announced that it had finally initiated legal action against the company. Firstly, it was proposing a precautionary measure not to innovate, so that LeoLabs Argentina SRL does not advance with its corporate objectives and secondly, it was asking for the Court's approval to dissolve the company that it registered in 2022 and immediately order the dismantling of the radar.
In a complete change of discourse from what it had been vehemently maintaining since June of last year until no more than two months ago, the government of Tierra del Fuego now says it believes that the radar “is a danger to national security” and which violates National Sovereignty as stated in detail on August 2, 2023; the “Report: AGSR LeoLabs Argentina SRL Radar Station in Tolhuin, Tierra del Fuego AIAS”, published by the Ministry of Defense of the Nation, jointly with the most important organizations in Argentina in space sciences; which Melella and his cabinet disbelieved from the beginning of the controversy.
Unless in the next few hours the Chief of Staff Guillermo Francos , or someone from that ministry denies what was published by Clarín , the government of Tierra del Fuego could be left, in this matter, once again with its foot in the door with regard to the decisions of the National Executive.
Last year, he ignored the request of the Undersecretariat of Telecommunications and Connectivity of the Cabinet Office , when the minister was Agustín Rossi ; regarding "deregistering the aforementioned company through the IGJ taking into account a British partner in a sensitive corporate purpose" and carrying out the procedures with the corresponding companies to cut off electricity and internet services; after that Undersecretariat ordered the Total Cancellation of the Precarious Permit granted to the company in November 2022.
On this occasion, when it seems that from the same national Undersecretary they understand the opposite of what the officials of the area interpreted the previous management of the Frente Para la Victoria -to be clear-, which is the same thing that Gustavo Melella responded a year ago to the government of Alberto Fernández ; the Executive Power of Tierra del Fuego has now initiated a judicial case endorsing what it previously denied. That the radar has military capacity, that one of the partners of LeoLabs Argentina SRL is British, and that as already said, "it is a danger to national security."
What Clarín published yesterday is not an isolated case. On July 23, Ámbito Financiero indicated that LeoLabs was confident in Milei's alignment with the US for "the reopening of the satellite facility" in Tierra del Fuego.
If this were the case, and the government of Javier Milei authorizes the operation of the Radar installed in Tolhuin, Melella will pay a high price for not having acted early when he had the opportunity to resolve politically what he was warned about technically, scientifically and militarily in July and August of last year by the former Minister of Defense Jorge Taiana and the former Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Juan Martín Paleo.
The lack of political decision by the governor of Tierra del Fuego, of not resolving the issue in time, played or plays in favor of LeoLabs. And also of Melella . A delay that could have been perfectly calculated, given the possibility that the governor had knowledge of the company's efforts before the Nation to recover the radar's operating permit. And in order not to be stuck with a final decision that is already known, they should radically change their minds and initiate legal action, denouncing what Milei could decide in the same way that they maintained until July of this year.
