In a recent opinion piece intended as an editorial, distributed in Tierra del Fuego press media, entitled : THE TRUTH ABOUT COMBINED EXERCISES AND THE ROLE OF CONGRESS , Juan Carlos Arcando , former vice-governor of Tierra del Fuego for the PJmacrista party, who had former governor Rosana Bertone as his main representative ; not only attacked national senator Cristina López , but also shows signs of political opportunism that ignores history and betrays the principles of national sovereignty.

In the text, which is far from being a class on military strategy and constitutional law, Arcando strays from the central and fundamental point of the discussion : the unacceptable presence of US Marines—Great Britain's main ally—on Tierra del Fuego soil.

A few days ago, Senator López was emphatic in her position: this is not about opposing international cooperation, but rather about questioning the legitimacy and seriousness of allowing the forces of a country that has historically supported our usurper in the Malvinas Islands to set foot on Tierra del Fuego province.

Sovereignty is not a word game

Arcando bases his defense of the combined exercises on an alleged "legislative delay" by the Senate, which would have forced Milei's government to resort to Decrees of Necessity and Urgency (DNU). This argument, in addition to being a precarious justification, fails to address the root of the problem . Sovereignty is not a legal technicality or a formality that can be resolved with a DNU. It is a non-negotiable pillar of our national identity, especially in a province like Tierra del Fuego, the epicenter of our claim to sovereignty over the Malvina Islands.

The former lieutenant governor uses violations of libertarian management laws to cover up the resulting policies ; but he doesn't explain why the government of a president who admires Margaret Thatcher would decide to strengthen military ties with its historical partner, bypassing parliamentary debate. A debate that Senator López herself has requested . And the fact that the government is resorting to a DNU, which she herself describes as unconstitutional, validates her concern, not refutes it .

Although the most cynical, reprehensible, and disgusting aspect of Arcando's stance is his legendary and miserable defense of sovereignty, he is now endorsing an indisputable policy that violates it.

Arcando, who has publicly presented himself as a veteran of the Malvinas War, omits the key fact: it was precisely the United States' military, technological, logistical, and intelligence support to Great Britain in 1982 that tipped the balance against us.

How can someone who claims to have fought for the Homeland defend the entry of forces from a country that collaborated with our enemy in the war? It's an unacceptable contradiction, an insult to the memory of the fallen, and a slap in the face to all the people of Tierra del Fuego and Argentina who maintain their claim to sovereignty over the islands.

Arcando's supposed concern for the "truth" and the "responsibility" of national legislators is a facade that hides his true intention: to defend a government that, with its foreign policy, is subjugating national interests to Washington's agenda.

A text written in the Fuegian Legislature or originating from its servers

To complete the picture, one fact lends greater institutional gravity to this attack on Senator López : the text distributed by Arcando was drafted from a computer or server belonging to the Tierra del Fuego Legislature—that is, with public funds. This scandal reinforces the nauseating nature of his position and reveals an act of double treason: he betrays the Malvinas cause and uses the state apparatus to attack an official who is defending the sovereignty he claims to represent.

Senator Cristina López has asked for nothing other than what all representatives of the people should demand: clear and transparent explanations about the presence of foreign troops in a strategic area. In contrast, Juan Carlos Arcando has opted for complicit silence and empty criticism. Sovereignty is not an ornament for speeches; it is a struggle that must be defended coherently, in the streets and in institutions, without double talk or false excuses.

“Alvarito”: Fake Veteran

His past and present actions show him naked, in full force . Former Malvinas War combatants living in the capital of Tierra del Fuego claim that, posing as a veteran, Arcando obtained a two-story house on Fuegia Basket Street from the Tierra del Fuego Territorial Housing and Urban Planning Institute (now the Provincial Housing Institute). This incident, which has been reported from afar, doesn't seem surprising, given that in his role as vice-governor of the province, he gave talks in schools about his "Malvinas experiences."

By distributing this text, which lacks intellectual flair and sovereignty, Arcando demonstrates that he has always been an obedient lackey of the Argentine right, always opposed to the nation and the greatness of its people . Sectors of the Tierra del Fuego press ironically still give him the nickname "Alvarito," a nickname he earned for having been, for decades, a devoted representative of the UCD ( Union of the Democratic Center), a party that participated on the front lines of all the coups d'état that Argentina suffered from 1955 to 1976, and whose leader was Álvaro Alsogaray, the leading Argentine politician, military man, and economist, who indebted and plundered the country with surgical precision during the 30 years of dictatorial interludes.

TEXT OF THE CRITICISM MADE BY ARCANDO TO NATIONAL SENATOR CRISTINA LÓPEZ

Editorial – Juan Carlos Arcando  - President of “Nuevo País” TdF; Former Vice Governor; and Governor of TdF)

THE TRUTH ABOUT COMBINED EXERCISES AND THE ROLE OF CONGRESS

In recent statements, Senator Cristina López described the presence of foreign forces in Tierra del Fuego as "very serious," blatantly disregarding the norms governing our Constitution and current legislation. It is necessary to clarify, with seriousness and respect for the truth, the legal framework that supports these exercises and the responsibility that she, as a member of the Upper House, bears in the authorization processes.

First, our National Constitution , in Article 75, paragraph 28 , establishes that Congress is responsible for "authorizing the entry of foreign troops into the territory of the Nation." Article 99, paragraph 11, states that the President of the Nation may order the entry and exit of troops, but only with due parliamentary authorization. Precisely to provide a framework for this power, Congress passed Law 25,880 , whose Article 3, paragraph c, regulates the entry and exit of troops for purposes of cooperation and combined exercises.

Now, what happened in 2025? The National Executive Branch promptly submitted a bill to authorize the participation of the Armed Forces in various international exercises. This bill received preliminary approval from the Chamber of Deputies , but was left unresolved in the Senate, where Senator López sits. This legislative omission led to the need to enact alternative legal instruments: Decrees of Necessity and Urgency (DNU) 292/2025 and 521/2025 , which authorized the withdrawal of Argentine troops and the entry of foreign forces for previously scheduled exercises, including those held in Tierra del Fuego.

That is to say, far from constituting a "serious" or "clandestine" act, the exercises carried out were expressly contemplated and authorized in the aforementioned DNU , issued in accordance with the Constitution due to the Senate's inaction.

Therefore, instead of sowing doubt in the midst of an election campaign, it would be more responsible for the Senator to actively engage in the processing of bills that reach her chamber, thus avoiding the need to resort to extraordinary mechanisms. Not everything goes during the campaign: candidates and representatives have a duty to speak the truth, explain what they will do, and, above all, fulfill their institutional role without lying to the citizens of Tierra del Fuego.

The facts and regulations are clear: the combined exercises in Tierra del Fuego were carried out within the framework of the Constitution and DNU 292/2025 and 521/2025, issued as a result of the Senate's legislative delay. This is not a concession or a surrender of sovereignty, but rather an exercise in military cooperation endorsed by our own regulations.