Milei sent the National Sovereignty Defense Law to Congress to strengthen the Malvinas cause

The president Javier Milei sent this Thursday to the National Congress the National Sovereignty Defense Law project, an initiative aimed at strengthening the Argentine State's tools to defend its sovereign rights over the Malvinas Islands, South Georgia, and South Sandwich Islands.

The presentation was confirmed by the President's Office through an official statement dated September 17, 2026. The project had been announced by Milei during the national broadcast on September 3, as part of the measures promoted by the Government in response to the advance of natural resource exploitation activities in the islands.

According to the statement, the initiative constitutes a new legal framework for the defense of Argentine sovereignty and aims to replace the regime established by Law 26.659 with a scheme that includes harsher penalties and protection tools.

Tightening sanctions against those exploiting resources

One of the main focuses of the project is to increase criminal and economic penalties against those conducting business related to the illegitimate exploitation of Argentine natural resources.

The new regime would apply not only to the companies directly involved in these activities but also to their shareholders and suppliers, with the aim of discouraging the participation of Argentine or foreign companies in projects developed without the authorization of the Argentine State.

The Government had already anticipated that the reform would seek to expand the tools provided for in Law 26.659 and extend its scope to various activities related to the exploitation of natural resources in the islands.

The project also includes stricter judicial tools. According to the details released about the initiative, it incorporates the possibility of applying trial in absentia in certain cases and establishes more severe penalties for some behaviors related to resource exploitation.

Creation of a new National Security System

Another central point is the creation of the National Security System, which will be coordinated through a National Security Council.

The objective will be to coordinate strategic areas of the State that currently operate under different structures. Among them are the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Defense, the Intelligence area, and the Ministry of Economy.

On September 3, the President announced that his Government would tighten measures against companies linked to hydrocarbon exploitation projects in the islands and would advance with greater coordination among the different areas of the State.

On that occasion, Milei also announced measures aimed at increasing Defense capabilities and strengthening strategic infrastructure in Tierra del Fuego, in addition to promoting new economic and diplomatic tools in response to actors who, according to the Government, threaten national sovereignty.

The new project now aims to turn those measures into a permanent legal framework, with specific instruments for the defense of natural resources, strategic infrastructure, and Argentine sovereignty.

Milei called for prioritizing the project in Congress

In the statement released this Thursday, the President called on political leaders to prioritize the treatment of the initiative in Congress and set aside other discussions to advance the sovereignty project.

The President's Office stated that the Malvinas issue constitutes a national cause and raised the need to coordinate political efforts to advance with the new legal tools.

The project will now enter Congress, where it must undergo the corresponding legislative process before becoming law.

The initiative thus represents a new chapter in Javier Milei's Government strategy regarding the sovereignty of the Malvinas Islands, with an approach that combines economic and criminal sanctions, intelligence coordination, defense, foreign policy, and protection of strategic infrastructure.