Chancellor Pablo Quirno and Defense Minister Carlos Presti visited the site where the Integrated Naval Base of Ushuaia will be built, a strategic project promoted by the Government of Javier Milei to strengthen Argentine sovereignty in the South Atlantic and expand logistical capabilities with a projection towards Antarctica.
During the tour, both officials were accompanied by experts from the Armed Forces, with whom they analyzed the characteristics of the terrain and the logistical challenges involved in advancing a project of this magnitude.
Quirno reported on the visit through his social media and highlighted that the site is located in Ushuaia, “the southernmost point of the Nation.” In this context, he noted that the project is part of a coordinated strategy from different areas of the State to reinforce Argentine presence in the far south.
Pablo Quirno and Carlos Presti
“Together with Defense Minister Carlos Presti, we visited the site where the Integrated Naval Base will be built in Ushuaia, the southernmost point of the Nation,” expressed the chancellor.
The official also emphasized the Milei Government's decision to work on the defense of sovereignty in the South Atlantic and Argentina's projection towards Antarctica.
In parallel, the Chancellor confirmed that the National State will fully finance the project and that funds from the 2026 Budget have already been reassigned, in addition to incorporating funds into the 2027 Budget project.
The message from Quirno
“The decision of President Milei is that all areas of the Argentine State work in a coordinated manner in the defense of sovereignty in the South Atlantic, in our projection towards Antarctica, and in the revaluation of our key assets to return Argentina to a leadership position as a central actor on the global stage,” he stated.
In addition to the tour of the site, Quirno and Presti held a meeting with the governor of Tierra del Fuego, Gustavo Melella, and the lieutenant governor, Mónica Urquiza.
The chancellor particularly highlighted Urquiza's participation in the United Nations Decolonization Committee, where Argentina received “strong support from the international community in the Malvinas Cause.”
Quirno and Presti with the governor of Tierra del Fuego
The Ministry of Defense also emphasized the strategic nature of the project. According to the ministry, the future base will allow Ushuaia to become a logistical platform for the South Atlantic and Antarctica, integrating surveillance, military presence, and supply tasks for Argentine and third-country vessels.
The planning also includes coordination between Ushuaia and Petrel, as connection points between maritime and aerial logistics and the rest of the Argentine bases.
In this scheme, the Government linked the projected infrastructure with the defense of Argentine interests in the south. “The Malvinas are Argentine. Their legitimate claim to sovereignty, the protection of our interests, and Argentine presence in the South are part of that same strategic vision,” stated the Ministry of Defense.
The ministry added that strengthening military capabilities and infrastructure is necessary to sustain Argentine presence in Antarctica over the coming decades.
