Argentine justice blocks the exploitation of the Sea Lyon oil field in the Falkland-Malvinas

The escalation of the diplomatic dispute between the governments of Buenos Aires and London over the sovereignty of the Falkland-Malvinas Islands has been compounded in the last few hours by a new intervention by the Argentine justice system which today issued a precautionary sentence to block the exploitation of the 'Sea Lyon' oil field.

According to what we read in the resolution of judge Mariel Borruto, published by the newspaper La Nacion, the measure accepts the request of an association of environmental lawyers and a group of former combatants from the 1982 war and orders the two companies that operate the field (the British Rockhopper Exploration and the Israeli Navitas Petroleum) to suspend drilling.

Argentine justice also requires the presentation of an environmental impact report and states that "the fact that the companies in question are established abroad does not exclude the full applicability of Argentine law, given that the initiative extends to the Argentine continental shelf and the maritime areas corresponding to the Malvinas islands".

Yesterday the UK Foreign Office published a "guide" to investments in the Falkland-Malvinas which reiterates the status of the islands as a "British overseas territory" and that "there is no doubt about the sovereignty of the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands and the surrounding maritime areas". "We will not discuss the question of sovereignty unless the inhabitants of the islands wish it", states the London document, referring to one of the main arguments contested by Buenos Aires, that of the 'right to self-determination' of the inhabitants who settled in 1830. This document was immediately followed by a note of 'repudiation' from Javier Milei's government.

Previously, President Milei himself had announced in a speech to unified networks the presentation of complaints against unauthorized exploration in the Argentine continental shelf, affirming the government's desire to demand respect for sovereignty.