Argentina has announced that it will investigate and sanction oil companies working near the Falkland Islands without authorization, after President Javier Milei said the “winds of change” favor his country’s claim to the archipelago.
In a speech Thursday, Milei renewed claims to the Falklands and announced tougher sanctions on companies linked to oil projects nearby. The statement did not name the entities involved.
Argentina’s presidency said in a statement Friday that it had ordered the opening of proceedings to “investigate and penalize” 45 entities “linked to the exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons” around the Falklands. They include British, US, Canadian, Israeli, Danish and Dutch companies, according to Argentine media. Later, Milei shared a news item on X reporting the statements, along with an acronym that translates to “everything is going according to plan. “There are winds of change in the world that are favorable to our claim,” Milei said.
Milei’s speech followed comments from US President Donald Trump on Monday that the United States was reviewing its position on the Falkland Islands.
The Falklands are located about 600 km east of Argentina’s southernmost tip and administered by Britain. The Falklands war in 1982 ended with the surrender of the Argentine government after 74 days of conflict that killed 649 Argentines and 255 British troops.
