President Javier Milei denied accusations that he sought to gain political advantage through the lawsuits, sanctions and other measures his government has taken against companies planning to extract oil near the Malvinas Islands.

Milei, who will compete for his reelection in 2027, said his administration had been planning to take those steps for “the past three years.”

“Political analysts say we’re pushing the Malvinas issue for the sake of our image and political opportunism. That’s utter nonsense,” he told streaming channel Neura on Wednesday.

In recent weeks, the Argentine government filed a criminal complaint and imposed economic sanctions on Israeli firm Navitas Petroleum, British oil company Rockhopper Exploration and other outfits and individuals who have funded them or are otherwise associated with them.

The sanctions prohibit the companies from operating in Argentina — which has one of the world’s largest shale oil and gas reserves in Vaca Muerta — as long as they continue working near the Malvinas.

On Thursday, Milei also filed a bill in Congress aimed at strengthening the country’s national security and establishing a course of action to protect its sovereignty. Weeks earlier, he announced the construction of a naval base in Tierra del Fuego, at the southern tip of Argentina.

The official full name of the province is Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica, and South Atlantic Islands, and the Malvinas are considered part of its........

© Buenos Aires Herald