By Raúl Kollmann on April 3, 2024
Gen. Laura Richardson, photo: Pg 12
The head of the U.S. Southern Command, General Laura Richardson, will land this Tuesday in Buenos Aires. The visit is usual. She arrived in the country in 2022 and met with Cristina Fernández de Kirchner; in 2023, with the Minister of Defense, Jorge Taiana. This time, the main host will be the Chief of Cabinet, Nicolás Posse, to whom President Javier Milei entrusted the new carnal relations of the government with the United States. However, a brief meeting with the President is foreseen. In the dialogues with CFK and Taiana, the tone of the proposals was light: she knew that almost nothing would be accepted. Richardson did not use the rather harsh and demanding language that Ambassador Marc Stanley had already shown during the last weekend. And the issues to be discussed are essentially five. The Chinese-Argentine space observation base in Neuquén; the port being built in Río Grande, Tierra del Fuego; above all the Paraná trunk road on which a questionable dredging agreement was signed with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; the purchase of U.S.-origin F-16 aircraft from Denmark; and the U.S. “humanitarian bases” in Chaco and Neuquén.
A bit of anger
When Richardson announced that she was coming to Buenos Aires, she was asked not to arrive on an emblematic date such as April 2, Malvinas Day. The answer was that she could not arrive on any other day, which left a halo of anger in part of the military who will have to receive her.
The matter will not go any further because the government’s priority is the alignment with the United States and the Pentagon, to the point that Richardson will not only meet with Posse at the Casa Rosada, but it is taken for granted that there will be a photo and a meeting with Milei.
In 2023, Richardson made a sort of inventory of US interests in South America, as if it were its exclusive area of influence. She mentioned “the large oil reserves, Venezuela’s oil, gold and copper resources; the lithium triangle of Chile, Bolivia and Argentina, the Amazon forests which are the lungs of the world and 31 percent of the world’s fresh water”.
The Neuquén base
In the dialogues with Cristina and Taiana, the general had already made known, in a rather soft tone, the American objections to the space observation base managed by China, in association with the National Commission of Space Activities (CONAE), in Neuquén. In 2022 and 2023, when she made her first two visits, it was explained to her that this scientific observation base is the same as the one the European Union has in Malargüe, Mendoza. Washington is not very convinced by the argument, to the point that Ambassador Stanley threw himself on the issue in an interview published this Monday in La Nación: “I am surprised that Argentina allows the Chinese armed forces to operate in Neuquén”. Indeed, the scientific base is operated by the Chinese military, but it is not a military base, and part of the management is in the hands of CONAE.
In fact, the United States has so far not provided a single evidence of irregularities, but -as already anticipated by Página/12- the slogan is “nothing at all with China”.
In a statement, the Beijing embassy responded on Monday to Stanley’s remarks. “We have taken note of the inappropriate comments made by the U.S. Embassy. The Far Space Station in Neuquen is a space technology cooperation facility. Instead of the aforementioned military calls, scientists from Argentina and China have access to the use of this station for scientific research. In 2019, the Argentine Foreign Ministry and CONAE coordinated a delegation visit of diplomatic representatives, including from the United States, to the station. The documentary made by the Argentine side in 2019 about the Chinese-Argentine far space station has been very well received. All this fully demonstrates the civilian character and the open and transparent operation model of such station.”
The port of Rio Grande
During the government of Alberto Fernández, the project to expand the port of Río Grande, Tierra del Fuego, was launched. On the one hand, the initiative would benefit the industrial production that, for now, has to receive inputs through Ushuaia. But the Navy is also interested because it would be a better access to Antarctica.
According to experts, at present, from Tierra del Fuego it is easy to reach the Marambio Base, where landings are not easy because it is on a plateau. On the other hand, the port of Río Grande would allow fluid access to another base, Petrel, at sea level. It is also mentioned that from there, from the port of Rio Grande, a better patrol could be made over the 201st mile, of illegal fishing, and there would be another control over the Malvinas.
The Americans are suspicious of this move and have suggested that there could be Chinese intervention and financing. In one of his visits, Richardson was personally in Tierra del Fuego. The Fuegian and national authorities deny any link between China and the project. “There is nothing Chinese in this province”, they assure.
Paraná Trunk Line
It is, perhaps, the thorniest issue. During the Frente de Todos government, a questioned agreement was signed that grants the dredging of the Paraná trunk road to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The agreement was signed by the General Administration of Ports, after an almost secret negotiation with the U.S. Embassy. The agreement did not go through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Defense or Cabinet Office, according to what sources from the former government told Página/12.
Those who question this treaty say that it gives the military control over the main food outlet not only for Argentina, but also for Paraguay and even Brazil. It is a key route for world proteins, with strong suspicions of huge shipments of soybeans and other grains that evade, for example, withholding taxes. Added to this are allegations of smuggling and drug trafficking. The Americans argue that China has two ports (Lima and Timbúes), object to this presence and celebrate the control they achieve via the “engineers”.
Ambassador Stanley, precisely, defended the presence of the Corps of Engineers. “We were invited by the government of Alberto Fernandez, not the government of Milei. And it is the Army Corps of Engineers, but they are not soldiers, but civil engineers hired by the Army. I am proud that our country gives this free advice to contribute to the Hidrovia.”
The arguments seem inconsistent and explicitly mean US military presence in the Paraná. Governor Axel Kicillof has already presented a protest against this agreement and maintained that “it is unconstitutional”.
Humanitarian basis
Richardson also raises, as she did in her previous visits, the importance of what she calls “humanitarian bases”. At the moment there are two. One in Chaco and another in Neuquén, near Vaca Muerta. It is mentioned that they are projects of the Southern Command, something that is denied, confirmed and then denied again.
At first sight it means the provision of a building, beds, blankets, computers, assistance for possible catastrophes, floods, earthquakes. In theory, the United States provides the material and does not leave military personnel on site, but transfers it to the Civil Defense. In any case, what is alleged is that the Americans retain a sort of right of inspection and, of course, the usual mistrust arises. It is likely that the General will propose the installation of new bases.
The unusual aircraft operation
Richardson’s priority was probably to prevent Argentina from buying fighter planes from China. Therefore, there was strong pressure to opt for the old American F-16s that Denmark wanted to get rid of, discarding the Thunder from the Asian giant which, in addition, came with armament not supervised by Great Britain, as is the case of the F-16s.
For the time being, a letter of intent has been signed involving some 300 million dollars, an enormous amount, incompatible with the chainsaw that Milei’s government is talking about. Of this amount, the United States is only contributing 40 million dollars, but they are for the armament, which is paid separately. Besides, these are very low range missiles.
The truth is that, up to now, it is not known where the money will come from and if the purchase, which is far-fetched, will actually be made.
Seizing the opportunity
From a global point of view, Richardson is taking advantage of the opportunity. Neither Brazil, nor Chile, nor Colombia, nor Mexico, much less Venezuela, are willing to align themselves unilaterally with Washington. The opportunity arose with Milei, who enlisted in a belated -and delirious- war against communism. It is certain that, from this point of view, the government of La Libertad Avanza will sign new concessions to Richardson and anything Chinese, Russian or even Brazilian will be a bad word.