After controversy, US canceled coastal patrol trip to Argentina

The United States government announced on Friday that canceled the arrival of a patrol of its Coast Guard in the Argentine Sea, as had been officially announced.

Specifically, he suspended his mooring in the port of Mar del Plata, which it was first scheduled for January, then it was postponed to February. Now it will not be done.

Two weeks ago, after the arrival in Argentina of the USCGC STONE in Mar del Plata was released as part of its trip across the South Atlantic to patrol against illegal fishing and organized crime, the Foreign Ministry issued a statement indicating that the arrival of the ship would be “strictly protocol”.

“The Argentine government has accepted the visit of USCGC Stone with its counterpart to our country, the Argentine Naval Prefecture, which will take place in the port of Mar del Plata in February. This activity will be of a strictly formal nature, ”said the ministry headed by Foreign Minister Felipe Solá.

In the text, they warn that the visit “did not include any operational or cooperative activity”. Therefore, they warned: “I was not going”involve fisheries surveillance and control missions, which are carried out exclusively with the means and personnel of the Argentine State whose function is to protect our sovereignty and our resources in the national maritime spaces that last year captured three illegal foreign fishing vessels, a figure that n ‘has not been achieved since the year 2005 “.

After the announcement of the arrival of the American ship, resulting from kirchnerism They took care to bring out their discomfort with the activity that Minister Sabina Frédéric had organized at the request of the prefecture itself. They compared them to exercises in the Southern Command fleet, which is led by the US Navy.

By the way, he knew Bugle that the Americans have made known your desire to exercise with the Naval Prefecture, and that this force wanted to make them, given the experience they bring. In fact, the USCGC Stone did internships and was received by all the South Atlantic coastal countries it has passed through, from the Caribbean to Uruguay.

The exercises had to be historical and very relevant, taking into account friction between government of Cristina Kirchner with the government of Barack Obama in the field of defense and security.

This newspaper also learned that one of the issues that sensitized the Argentine government was the fact that in the official United States pages it was mentioned that one of the objectives of its patroller in this area was to: deter Chinese fishing boats too, who tend to commit serious crimes with fishing. Alberto Fernández’s government is negotiating its own deal with Xi Jinping’s government.

Following the controversy, Washington issued a new statement. The full text is as follows:

“The United States Coast Guard Vessel STONE (USCG) announced that he would ultimately not travel to Argentina, as planned on his original travel itinerary. A thorough assessment of the conditions revealed logistical challenges preventing the vessel from docking in the port of Mar del Plata.

Argentina represented the southernmost stop on the maiden voyage of the force’s most modern ship, which also included Guyana, Brazil and Uruguay. The ship’s tour is part of Coast Guard Operation Southern Cross as part of actions aimed at strengthening regional maritime security alliances and combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, by promoting responsibility and accountability in accordance with international standards.

The United States will continue to work to strengthen the ties of friendship and cooperation between the USCG and the Argentine Naval Prefecture, knowing that the region is safer and more prosperous when our countries come together to strengthen maritime security in the region. .