Argentina begins construction of a naval base in Ushuaia

The Argentine government will start construction of a naval base in Ushuaia, 700 kilometers from the Falkland-Malvinas Islands. As reported by the Efe agency, Defense Minister Carlos Presti said that the structure will have a "strategic value" to "position and project" the country in the South Atlantic. "We will make around five or six public tenders in order to be able to start as soon as possible and begin work on January 2nd," Presti specified in an interview.

President Javier Milei announced on August 3 the reactivation of the project, conceived in 2022 and initially blocked due to spending cuts. The facility will serve as a "logistics hub" for Antarctica, where Argentina has seven permanent and six temporary bases. Gustavo Melella, governor of the province of Tierra del Fuego, confirmed his support for the construction of the base, explaining that, "beyond the fact that we have political and ideological differences on some issues, we are in total agreement on this project and it must be done".