By Decree 774/2024 , signed by the President and all the ministers that make up his cabinet, the national government authorized the exit of Argentine troops from the national territory to participate in the combined exercise UNITAS LXV without the Congress of the Nation having approved the bill for the entry of foreign troops into the national territory and the exit of national troops from it .
As stipulated in the National Constitution (Art. 75 Inc. 28) , it is the responsibility and responsibility of Congress: “To allow the introduction of foreign troops into the territory of the Nation, and the exit of national forces from it.”
The UNITAS LXV exercise took place in Chile between 3 and 10 September and was organised by the Chilean Navy. 19 ships, 2 submarines, 23 aircraft and 4,300 personnel from 24 countries participated in the exercise. During the exercise , “more than 180 operations were carried out in the naval, maritime, air and land areas, all of them successfully, which allowed the training of a military force composed of various countries, united with the objective of being prepared to face common threats,” the Chilean Navy reported on its official website, in the Naval News section.
The most unusual thing is that the government , in the recitals, maintains that "it is necessary to authorize the departure from the national territory of national forces means and personnel to participate in the LXV Edition (2024) of the 'UNITAS' Exercise to be carried out in the exclusive economic zone of the REPUBLIC OF CHILE, in the coastal strip near the city of Valparaíso, during the days September 3 to 10, 2024" , adding below that given "the exceptional nature of the situation presented makes it impossible to follow the ordinary procedures provided for in the NATIONAL CONSTITUTION for the sanction of laws."
What the decree defines as "the exceptional nature of the situation raised" is the sole and exclusive responsibility of the Executive Branch , which sent the bill late to be debated in Congress , since it was only able to be discussed by the House of Representatives on Wednesday , August 14 , where it was approved by 208 votes in favor , 8 votes against , there were no abstentions and there were 40 absent legislators .
It was then referred to the Senate , where it was only discussed on Tuesday , August 20, at the plenary meeting of the Foreign Relations and Worship Committees and the Defense Committee .
As reported by Agenda Malvinas , at the meeting, Senators Silvia Sapag and María Eugenia Duré raised objections to two of the fifteen exercises contemplated in the project sent by the Executive Branch, and the government was unable to obtain enough signatures to obtain a majority opinion , since the two senators refused to sign and announced that they would issue a minority opinion rejecting the carrying out of the “Guinex” and “Vinciguerra” exercises , an issue that led to a complaint against the president of the Foreign Relations and Worship Committee, Francisco Paoltroni , for the pressure and harassment reported by both senators.
The issue was again discussed by the Senate committees on Tuesday, August 24 , where the ruling party continued trying to obtain the necessary signatures to issue the majority opinion.
With no more time left, the government decided to override the National Constitution and the National Congress, ordering the exit by decree .
The Milei government's servile haste had its reasons . It did not want to snub or look bad with the interests of the axis headed by the United States , the main ally of the United Kingdom that occupies our Malvinas Islands , as described by the US Southern Command itself on its official website, it sent an Advanced Expeditionary Force composed of US Marine Corps forces that included "the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment; the 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment; the 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion; the 4th Reconnaissance Battalion; the 4th Combat Logistics Regiments; the 2nd Battalion, 14th Marines; the 234th Marine Air Refueling Transport Squadron; Marine Wing Communications Squadron 48; Marine Aircraft Control Group - 48; and Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 112.”
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