A British ship flying the Falkland Islands flag has sparked diplomatic tensions with Argentina.
The regional government of Tierra del Fuego, a tregion shared by Argentina and Chile, and the South Atlantic Islands has strongly condemned the recent presence of the British icebreaker RRS Sir David Attenborough sailing along the Argentine coastline while flying the flag of the Falkland Islands.
The vessel was observed transiting through the Le Maire Strait, which separates Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego from Isla de los Estados, en route from the disputed archipelago to the British Antarctic base at Rothera.
In response, provincial authorities called for a more assertive stance from the national government in defence of Argentina’s sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands, as they are referred to in the country.
Andrés Dachary, Secretary for Malvinas (the name for the Falklands in Argentina), Antarctica, South Atlantic Islands, and International Affairs, denounced the act as a “new British encroachment.”
Via social media, he urged for stronger measures against what he described as a unilateral violation of Argentina’s sovereign rights in the region.
Dachary acknowledged that, while the ship’s passage through the Le Maire Strait is legally permitted under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, it still poses concerns for national interests.
He proposed legislative action to impose restrictions on vessels bearing symbols not recognized by Argentina.
“We must establish complementary internal regulations to limit the passage of vessels flying the illegitimate Malvinas flag within our territorial waters,” he stated.
Dachary further announced the drafting of a bill to be presented to Congress aimed at reinforcing Argentina’s sovereignty claims.
The British vessel’s passage through Argentine waters adhered to the principle of “innocent passage,” which allows foreign ships to navigate without prior authorization, provided they do not stop or conduct activities inconsistent with peaceful transit.
However, Argentina’s rejection of the Falkland Islands’ flag remains a contentious issue, exacerbating historical tensions between Buenos Aires and London over the sovereignty of the islands.
The RRS Sir David Attenborough has since docked in Punta Arenas, Chile, for refueling and resupply before continuing its Antarctic mission.
This incident follows a recent controversy involving a British Royal Air Force flight, which raised further sovereignty concerns.
Deputies from the political coalition Unión por la Patria called upon the Argentine government to investigate the flight path of an Airbus 400M military transport aircraft, registered as ZM42, which departed from a NATO base in the Falkland Islands and allegedly approached commercial routes near Argentine airspace.