San Francisco Frontiers - Argentina launches legal action against oil firms for Falklands drilling

Britain and Argentina fought a brief but bitter 10-week war in 1982 over the South Atlantic islands, a British overseas territory that Argentines call Las Malvinas and claims as an integral part of their land.

The islands hit headlines again in recent days, after US President Donald Trump threatened to review Washington's neutrality in the dispute, sending a warning to Britain that was welcomed by Argentine President Javier Milei.

Emboldened by Trump, Milei has set his sights on stopping a British-Israeli oil project near the islands, arguing it violates a UN resolution calling for both Britain and Argentina to desist from unilateral actions in the islands until their dispute is resolved.

The fate of the Falklands is a highly emotional topic for many Argentines, which overshadowed the country's World Cup semi-final against England this year, where the South American side prevailed before losing the final.

A presidential statement said that the government had filed a criminal complaint in Argentine courts against Israeli company Navitas Petroleum, for exploring a major oil field in the North Malvinas basin known as the Sea Lion project.

Navitas has a majority share of the Sea Lion offshore oil project, with Britain's Rockhopper holding the rest.

- 15-year prison terms -

The government also launched legal action against Canadian company Eco Atlantic, which has a license to explore next to the Sea Lion field, saying their licenses were granted "by the illegitimate government of the United Kingdom."

A 2011 law establishes penalties of up to 20 years of disqualification from operating in Argentina and up to 15 years in prison for carrying out exploration in Argentina's continental shelf without government authorization.

The criminal complaint targets shareholders and "all directors, managers, trustees, members of the supervisory board, administrators, agents, representatives" of the companies, and all those who "participated in the criminal act."

The Sea Lion oil field is situated around 220 kilometers (137 miles) from the Falklands.

In 2013, Argentina punished Rockhopper with a 20-year disqualification from operating in Argentine territory over its "illegal and clandestine" operations.

Navitas received the same sanction in April 2022.

The Falklands are located about 600 km east of Argentina's southernmost tip and administered by Britain.

The 1982 war ended with Argentine surrender after 74 days of conflict that killed 649 Argentines and 255 British troops.

In a speech Thursday, the libertarian Milei declared that the "winds of change" were blowing in Argentina's favor on the Falklands following Trump's veiled threats to switch support to Argentina on the issue.

HIs address prompted London to assert its "unshakeable" claim over the islands.

"The Falklands are British because Falkland Islanders choose to be British," British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting wrote on social media on Friday.

The islanders themselves voted overwhelmingly in 2013 to remain British.

R.Baker--SFF