Justice in Tierra del Fuego curbs the “English radar”: a late ruling against Kirchner's irresponsibility

The Court of First Instance in Civil and Commercial Matters No. 2 of Tierra del Fuego issued a ruling declaring the corporate registration of Leolabs Argentina S.R.L. to the provincial General Inspectorate of Justice (IGJ) null and void. The company, controlled mostly by British capital (through Leo Labs Limited of the United Kingdom and another related entity), operated a space surveillance radar near Tolhuin, about 700 kilometers from the Falkland Islands

Although Judge Gustavo González rejected the total dissolution and liquidation of the company requested by the IGJ (considering that the administrative cancellation of the permit was not yet “final”), he ordered the registration to be canceled once the judgment was final. This leaves the company as a mere “de facto corporation” without regular legal personality to operate in the country, making it de facto impossible to continue

its legal activities.

The “Nidas 1 D” or Argentina Space Radar (AGSR) radar, installed in the El Relincho ranch, was precariously authorized in November 2022 during the administration of Alberto Fernández (with strong influence from Cristina Kirchner) by the Undersecretary of Telecommunications.

The heart of the problem: an irresponsible political decision

The case reveals one of Kirchnerism's greatest betrayals in foreign and defense policy: approving the installation of a radar with British capital in the extreme south of the continent, in the middle of an area of sovereign claim by the Malvinas, without a serious assessment of

geopolitical risks.

The Ministry of Defense, in reports included in the file, indicated that the radar could monitor Argentine satellite activity (civil and military), detect non-cooperative launches, intercept signals and provide strategic intelligence to foreign powers, including possible links with the “Five Eyes” network (where the United Kingdom participates

its legal activities.

The heart of the problem: an irresponsible political decision

geopolitical risks.

Its strategic location close to Argentine military bases and its potential as a “target” in an eventual conflict aggravated the scenario. All this, within the framework of the National Defense Policy Directive (Decree 457/2021), which precisely requires strengthening surveillance against the illegal British presence in the Malvinas

Even so, under the Kirchner administration, it was authorized with precarious authorization, without properly consulting the Defense or the Foreign Ministry in the initial stages, according to complaints from Falkland Islands veterans and legislators. The parent company operates a global radar network for “Space Domain Awareness”, an increasingly militarized field, and has openly collaborated with U.S. and allied defense projects

Calling it “radar for tracking space debris” was, at best, a dangerous naivety; at worst, a deliberate minimization of risks in order to move forward with an investment of English capital. In Tierra del Fuego, a land of veterans and of living memory of the 649 who died in the Falklands, this generated

immediate and well-founded rejection.

Jorge Taiana at TDF AIAS in April 2023. Photo: Argentina.gob.ar

A ruling that comes late, but corrects a serious error

The judge correctly prioritized public interest and national security over the principle of preserving the company. He cited the social significance of the issue in the province and the technical reports that warned of incompatibility with Argentine

defense policy.

The nullity of registration is an important step: without full legal personality, the transaction becomes much more complicated.

However, the ruling also reveals previous flaws on the part of the State itself: the provincial IGJ and the national bodies initially approved the corporate constitution and the authorization without sufficient safeguards. Kirchnerism enabled what today, even under another government, is recognized

as a risk.

Veterans of the Malvinas and sovereign sectors have been denouncing this since 2023. Today, the Justice of Tierra del Fuego gives a partial but firm answer in terms of registration. There is still a lack of physical removal of the equipment and confirmation that there are no backdoors left for the same network (perhaps under another American cover) to try to return.

Justice in Tierra del Fuego curbs the “English radar”: a late ruling against Kirchner's irresponsibility

The heart of the problem: an irresponsible political decision

Justice in Tierra del Fuego curbs the “English radar”: a late ruling against Kirchner's irresponsibility

The heart of the problem: an irresponsible political decision

A ruling that comes late, but corrects a serious error

The full flaw here

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