Malvinas Agenda: Governor, on the 15th of last month, June; CEMEP (1) of Río Grande reported that foreign troops, specifically special troops from the United States, are going to do intensive training in Tierra del Fuego. What information do you have? What have you been informed by the Armed Forces?
Gustavo Melella: None. We don't have any information. We announced ourselves through the press in a photo. For me, I'm very unhappy because it follows on from the commander's visit, whose name never comes out in English because I don't...
A.M.: Laura Richardson…
GM: From Mrs. Laura. Nothing. I think it is a mistake, because the United States, clearly, is the heart of NATO. It is the strategic ally that Great Britain has and has had in the South Atlantic. So really, for me, it is a contradiction that maneuvers are made with them.
AM: Speaking today on Independence Day, specifically, on April 4, Laura Richardson came to Tierra del Fuego and in a military event, the president of the Nation spoke of North American investment or intervention in the development of the Integrated Naval Base. Has anyone reported anything on that topic? Did you request information?
GM: Let's see, that's what the president said. Later I believe that a North American Secretary of State denied it, he said that that was not going to happen. So, nothing, we have asked for information. The Integrated Naval Base project is a project that we support, but without the intervention of any foreign country.
AM: Do you consider that a naval base integrated into an Antarctic Logistics Pole is possible without intervention from Tierra del Fuego and Ushuaia specifically?
GM: No, not at all. I mean, this is our province. That is the federal perspective that sometimes they do not have. They think we are an appendage. No, nothing, we are nothing like that. Tierra del Fuego is a province, a well-established province, which is Antarctica and is the islands of the South Atlantic as well.
So, you can't. I mean, the Integrated Naval Base there is a purely military issue, but the Antarctic Logistics Pole is a purely commercial and productive issue.
AM: Legislator Juan Carlos Pino presented a bill to the legislature that was approved unanimously, creating, requesting the management of the provincial government to make regular flights from the airports of Río Grande de Ushuaia to Antarctica. The law was partially vetoed. Are you going to rediscuss the topic?
No, look, we were the first and you will remember, when we took office; We started working in Petrel, at the Petrel base. I met with the Cocoantar (2) at that time.
Look , I even met with the people from Aeropuertos 2000 to tell them we must strengthen Petrel , because Petrel is strategic . Not because of my idea, huh? An Army retiree brought it to me as a project at the time. And we started working and that's how we achieved many things.
So, as a principle we want that connectivity with Petrel. Now, there are issues that are clearly within the national jurisdiction, of the National State and of the province. That's why that article was vetoed.
But I fully support the initiative because we have been working on it since the beginning of our government.
AM: What is the province specifically proposing then?
GM: Of course, what we propose is that the decision to increase these flights belongs to the Nation who gives the authorization. We will make all the arrangements, all the necessary push. Because, I insist, we have been pushing it since day one.
(1) Pediatric Medical Specialty Center of the city of Río Grande.
(two) Joint Antarctic Command.
