Businessman Liu Zhijiang , who has made a fortune from illegal fishing —including a contemporary incident in which he was fined for catching 175 tons of unlicensed black hake — aims to build a kind of autonomous enclave in Tierra del Fuego, a state parallel to the control of the provincial and national governments .
For his strategy, he surrounds himself with a messianic discourse of cultural superficiality , claiming to possess an authentic Rembrandt work and planning the opening of museums and cultural centers , while in reality his true intention is to consolidate his power in the region.
The figure of the man known as “the Chinese” Liu Zhijiang , owner of PRODESUR and the fishing boat Tai An , reveals a profile that combines his origins as a currency exchange businessman, then a real estate and fishing entrepreneur , fused with his role as a collector of European art .
However, his history is inevitably marked by illegal practices, political connections, and pressure strategies aimed at consolidating his influence in Tierra del Fuego . The illegal capture of black hake , which earned him a fine and other sanctions at the time, was just the tip of the iceberg of his modus operandi.
The political pressure generated after the discovery of the crime led to the resignation of national officials in the sector . Furthermore, it is worth highlighting the connection with the provincial authorities who interceded, requesting benefits for the businessman from the Federal Fisheries Council.
The matter takes a new turn with the allegations of bribery and pressure that the businessman himself has filed against the CFP. These legal actions, where " el chino " is sponsored by the media-savvy lawyer Fernando Burlando , make it clear that this is a desperate attempt by the eccentric magnate, who is now sparing no monetary resources in his latest bid for impunity .
This is a judicial and media strategy to attempt to justify illegal fishing through cross-complaints, seeking to generate confusion and divert attention from the proven crimes.
In turn, the relationship with the current administration of Tierra del Fuego , particularly with Governor Gustavo Melella, allowed him to present a project that diagnoses his vision of power and economic growth, at the cost of sovereign control over the marine and terrestrial resources of the region.
Basically, it aims to create a " separate world " in Tierra del Fuego , a society under its total control . The initiative is so brazen that on the PRODESUR website , in addition to promoting its fishery products, there is a striking presentation of the ambitious project for the futuristic city.
The featured photograph on the virtual platform is an image of him alongside the governor , looking at plans for a proposal that seems to envision a development parallel to the provincial government . This image, far from being a demonstration of institutional cooperation, reveals a play on framing and discourse aimed at legitimizing a kind of modern micro-colonization from a private sector of the economy in Argentine territory.
The project of the Chinese businessman who became Argentine nationals is framed in a context where extractive activities, the lack of state oversight and non-compliance with international regulations in fishing create a favorable scenario. for these private and foreign interests.
Recent history shows how autonomy in the exploitation of resources in Tierra del Fuego has been used to enrich a few , without much social oversight or protection of the territory's natural heritage. This is what has been happening for years with the allocation of fishing quotas to a small group of companies.
It is clear that behind this figure of an eccentric businessman and art collector lies a desire for power that, in practice, threatens to impose a development model based on exclusion, privatization and the handing over of national resources to businessmen who have no environmental awareness or tradition of national identity or culture .
