The scandal sparked by the presence and loading operations of the British-flagged tanker VS PROMISE in Tierra del Fuego has formally entered the realm of judicial and administrative oversight. The Provincial Attorney General, Virgilio Martínez de Sucre , sent Governor Gustavo Melella a comprehensive request this Wednesday, giving him a peremptory deadline of fifteen (15) days to submit a documented report clarifying all actions taken by the Executive Branch related to the vessel.

The intervention of the public legality control body originated from a formal complaint, filed under File No. FEN 48/26 , entitled " RE: COMPLAINT OF ALLEGED BRITISH FLAG VESSEL IN THE PORT OF USHUAIA" . Note FEN 251/26 was formally received through the Governor's office at 13:01 on August 26 under registration No. 691.

The comprehensive requirement: the 5 points demanded of the Governor

The petition submitted by Martínez de Sucre demands that the Executive, with prior intervention of the Legal Service of the Governor's Office, provide physical and digital files, resolutions, minutes and official communications responding to the following requirements:

                  KEY REQUIREMENTS OF THE STATE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE

 1. HISTORICAL AND CURRENT RECORDS : Operations in Cullen and Ushuaia.   

 2. PRIOR NOTIFICATIONS : Agency procedures, TotalEnergies or Nation .

 3. GUARANTEES AND ADMINISTRATIVE ACTS : Officials who authorized entry

 4. POLICE POWER IN CULLEN : Cargo records, manifests and Law 852.  

 5. CONTROL MECHANISMS : Protocols and data cross-referencing with the Prefecture. 

Provincial oversight under institutional scrutiny

The State Prosecutor's initiative neutralizes the Executive's attempts to justify the tanker's presence as a fortuitous event or the sole responsibility of national authorities. By requesting the inspection reports from the Secretariat of Hydrocarbons, the interventions of the Provincial Port Authority, and the shipping manifests, the oversight body seeks to verify whether the Province administratively validated the operation before the public controversy arose.

With a legal deadline set at 15 business days, the government of Tierra del Fuego must respond with supporting documentation explaining how the crude oil was authorized to leave the country and what institutional mechanisms were omitted or implemented during the passage of the VS PROMISE through the coasts of Tierra del Fuego.

THE REQUEST OF THE STATE PROSECUTOR OF TIERRA DEL FUEGO