A major institutional upheaval is shaking the foundations of the Argentine Navy. Military sources at the national level and media outlets in Tierra del Fuego agree in warning of a radical restructuring plan being promoted by the Minister of Deregulation and State Transformation, Federico Sturzenegger.

The ultimate goal of the official reform envisions the de facto disappearance of the Argentine Navy to be merged and absorbed into a police structure under the control of the Argentine Naval Prefecture (PNA).

The rumor, which caused deep unease among Army Chief Carlos Presti and high-ranking naval officers, gained traction after a controversial institutional event organized by the Argentine Coast Guard (PNA) with national legislators. During this event, the PNA allegedly assumed exclusive powers belonging to the Navy in critical areas such as the Paraná-Paraguay Waterway, fisheries control, national defense, and the Antarctic presence. The leak of details of the meeting on social media by Representative Virginia Gallardo ultimately unleashed a storm that exposes the planned erosion of sovereignty in the South Atlantic.

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The regulatory vacuum as a tool for merger

To understand how Sturzenegger's scheme seeks to justify this "merger by bankruptcy," it is necessary to review the history of both forces. Historically, the Coast Guard was created under the Navy's jurisdiction during Juan Domingo Perón 's presidency. With the return of democracy, President Raúl Alfonsín separated them to grant them autonomy, but kept the Coast Guard under the Ministry of Defense.

The current distortion originated with the creation of the Ministry of Security. By transferring the Prefecture to the civilian sphere of internal security, no government has taken the time to surgically redefine the operational boundaries between the two institutions.

"Fishing is controlled by the Navy and the Coast Guard, while search and rescue operations at sea (SAR) are handled by both the Coast Guard and the Navy. Each branch has a degree of responsibility for everything related to the Merchant Marine. Two distinct forces were created that now share 70% of their functions ," La Política Online reports, citing a high-ranking military officer as its source.

This overlap of tasks is the argument that Sturzenegger 's deregulatory narrative uses to advance. Under the banner of "spending efficiency" and with the ideological premise that "in 50 years wars will be fought only by drones and ships and submarines will no longer be necessary," the national government is preparing the ground to dismantle the Navy and transform it into a mere coastal police force.

The fallacy of the Prefecture in Antarctica

The deployment of the Prefecture, attempting to assume sovereign and logistical roles on the White Continent, represents a clear contradiction of international law. The Antarctic Treaty expressly prohibits militarization and the establishment of civilian police jurisdictions over citizens of other nations.

Antarctica is a territory of international scientific cooperation; our country recognizes this. The Argentine Navy has a historical logistical role, protected by international treaties, in maintaining scientific bases. Deploying naval personnel to establish an internal security force lacks legal basis and weakens Argentina's geopolitical position in international forums.

The puzzle of abandonment

When this conflict is analyzed in conjunction with the series of decisions made by the National Executive Branch, the strategy of dismantling the military becomes even more apparent. This is evidenced by the $59 billion cut to the operational readiness of the Armed Forces, the immobilization of ships, and the 80% erosion of military income due to inflation , forcing highly trained officers in tactics and communications to leave their posts to drive for Uber or make private deliveries to survive.

Great Britain benefits the most

The dissolution of the Navy and its conversion into a police force is the ideal scenario for the United Kingdom in the South Atlantic. Issuing fines to an illegal fishing vessel at mile 201 is a minor, police matter, but defending sovereignty against an invading foreign power is a strictly military mission.

If Argentina disbands its navy, it will degrade the geopolitical conflict over the Malvina Islands. Great Britain will no longer have to justify its massive NATO military base on Mount Pleasant to a sovereign state with the right to self-defense. It will simply continue to administer de facto a colonial area of a country that has relinquished its merchant and military fleets, delegating control of its waters to police boats and the technological oversight of the Southern Command through Operation 333 .

Sources:

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