The national government decided to take over the administration of the Port of Ushuaia. In fact, among the reasons for the resolution used to illegally seize the Port, Milei had recorded that 'its location in the Southern Atlantic, south of the continent, and its proximity to Antarctica, make the port a key point for Antarctic supply and the operation of scientific campaigns, as well as a port of strategic importance for the Argentine Republic, especially in the custody of its southern waters and territories.' We do not share either the measure or its reasons, and we believe there is no objective justification for a decision of this magnitude,' Melella pointed out on his Twitter/X account. He indicated that from the provincial government and the Provincial Ports Directorate 'we are working on all necessary levels to resolve this situation with institutional responsibility and in defense of Fuegian autonomy.' And he added: 'I maintain a permanent dialogue with the Minister of the Interior, Diego Santilli, with the aim of finding a solution that preserves the normal functioning of the port and provides predictability for all sectors.' Geopolitical Handover. Several sources point out that the intervention could be linked to a possible international agreement with the United States, which would include the Port of Ushuaia as a strategic point, while other versions point to a handover of the operation to the Mirgor group, in a coordinated maneuver between the Nation and the Province that is now under strong scrutiny. 'Milei illegally seized the Port of Ushuaia and today he will put it at the service of Trump,' wrote this morning Alejandro 'Topo' Rodríguez, former national deputy and director of the Federal Consensus Institute. 'Before meeting with Donald Trump in Davos, President Javier Milei had the Port of Ushuaia's license suspended and ordered its administrative intervention, so that it is managed directly by the national government. The measure was adopted through a simple resolution of the National Ports and Navigation Agency, which, under number 4/2026, was published today in the Official Gazette,' he pointed out in a post on Twitter/X. 'Milei will offer the Port of Ushuaia to the President of the United States, for military and commercial use. A surprise operation with federal forces took full control of the port in the early hours of Wednesday, evicted the workers, and opened a strong political, union, and labor conflict in a key infrastructure for the province of Tierra del Fuego. They denounce a future privatization and a possible international agreement with the United States, which would include the Port of Ushuaia as a strategic point.' In a surprising and large-scale deployment, national officials from the National Ports and Navigation Agency (ANPYN) with the support of security forces, took full control of the Port of Ushuaia facilities in the early morning of January 21. The action, which included the entry of the Prefectura Naval, the taking of administrative and operational offices, and the immediate eviction of workers who were on duty. The 'Identidad Sindical' portal reported testimonies from unions and witnesses at the scene, who denounced that the procedure was carried out without prior notice, after midnight and with a strong presence of security forces, which generated a situation of total uncertainty about the continuity of work for hundreds of families that depend directly or indirectly on the port's operation. From the Ushuaia Regional CGT, they repudiated the action of the national government and warned that it is 'an affront that cannot go by as if nothing,' questioning that the intervention was carried out in silence and by force, without public explanations or protection for the port workers. In the morning of Wednesday, January 21, the Port of Ushuaia workers cut off access to passenger cruise transport vehicles and demonstrated in the vicinity of the port. The workers could not enter to perform their duties because the Intervener prohibited it, so the workers expressed uncertainty regarding the labor situation of the sector. Milei's Arguments. The national government ordered the administrative intervention of the Port of Ushuaia's infrastructure for a period of 12 months due to alleged financial irregularities and infrastructure failures. The measure was officialized this Thursday through Resolution 4/2026 of the National Ports and Navigation Agency, published in the Official Gazette. According to 'Argentine News Agency,' which usually acts as a spokesperson for the far-right government of Javier Milei, the measure aims to regularize operational safety conditions and resolve the investment deficit detected in the terminal. The national body justified its decision after 'verifying,' as they claim, that the province of Tierra del Fuego used the port's financial surplus to finance the provincial social work (OSEF) through Provincial Law No. 1596, which violates the transfer agreement that requires reinvesting income exclusively in port activities. They added that a technical inspection carried out in 2025 'detected' structural deterioration in the docks, obsolete fire-fighting systems, and a level of infrastructure execution of only 1.3% of the provincial entity's total expenditure. The quotes are necessary due to the permanent disinformation strategy and fake news deployed by the Milei government from the very beginning. And even more so when it comes to a government that argues for an intervention due to alleged maintenance failures. And it is added: 'The Port of Ushuaia is fundamental not only for its strategic and geopolitical importance, but also for its role in logistics, regional trade, and tourism,' he added, and concluded: 'This decision by Milei creates a reckless precedent against the provinces and against the national interest. But he does so while abandoning his obligations before facts of maximum seriousness such as the fires in Patagonia for two consecutive years or the floods in Bahía Blanca. He takes it away from the Province of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica, and the South Atlantic Islands. The list goes on. The contradiction is evident and fuels suspicions about the real objectives of the measure. The Governor's Response. The governor of Tierra del Fuego, Gustavo Melella, criticized the decision. All governors should react.' In turn, from the 'Agenda Malvinas' portal, its director Daniel Guzmán, a Malvinas veteran, pointed to 'the shadow of privatization.' 'This intervention is seen by various analysts as the first step towards the privatization of port services or the handover of the Antarctic Logistic Pole to foreign interests,' he pointed out, and added: 'The loss of control of the port means that Tierra del Fuego ceases to have its own voice in the logistics of the Southern Atlantic and Antarctica.'
