The national government has initiated a 12-month administrative takeover of the Port of Ushuaia, following the identification of significant financial irregularities and the misallocation of public funds. The directive was issued by the National Ports and Navigation Agency and made public this Thursday in the Official Gazette. The government of Tierra del Fuego province has announced its intention to pursue legal action against the central government’s decision. The measure received the endorsement of the agency’s executive director, Iñaki Arreseygor. The national government will now take over the operational, technical, and administrative management of the maritime terminal. This takeover, referred to in Spanish as a “intervention,” may be prolonged beyond the initially planned year should the irregularities remain unaddressed. It is reported that the decision arose from the identification of resource diversions that, rather than being designated for port maintenance and upgrades, were purportedly utilized to finance other provincial administrative costs, contravening existing regulations. Inspections have indicated operational deficiencies, infrastructure vulnerabilities, and an inadequate response from provincial authorities to calls for remedial measures. The agency emphasized that this action was taken in light of the lack of tangible responses to earlier inspections, grievances from port workers regarding asset stripping, and issues highlighted by shipping companies functioning at the port. The intervention occurs during the peak of the cruise season, exacerbating political tensions with the province of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and South Atlantic Islands. The governor has raised concerns regarding the decision, asserting that terminal operations are proceeding as usual.
The government of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and South Atlantic Islands announced its intention to pursue legal action regarding the takeover of the port. “There is a significant infringement on the province’s autonomy,” officials in Governor Gustavo Melella’s administration stated. According to sources, discussions are underway regarding “the best legal strategy for the Provincial Ports Directorate to regain real and concrete autonomy. It will be a strictly legal strategy.” They confirmed in comments to the outlet, “We are going to court.” The administrative oversight of the port is directed by Iñaki Miguel Arreseygor, a lawyer equipped with management expertise and a substantial background in both public and private sectors. Arreseygor has assumed leadership of a process with considerable institutional implications for the national port system, as designated by the National Ports and Navigation Agency, a strategic entity established in 2025.
Arreseygor is a legal professional with a Master of Business Administration. His foray into politics commenced as an adviser on Constitutional Affairs and Media in the Argentine Senate, where he began to cultivate a technical-political profile associated with public management and institutional design. His ascent within the state apparatus was solidified during the administrations of María Eugenia Vidal as governor of Buenos Aires province and Mauricio Macri as president. In 2015, he assumed the role of provincial director of Procurement and Contracting at the Buenos Aires Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Services, a pivotal position for the management of resources and the implementation of public works. Subsequently, he was designated as a state-appointed director at Mirgor, a firm engaged in the production of air conditioners and mobile phones, which is under the ownership of businessman Nicolás Caputo. That position enhanced his expertise in corporate settings related to industry and logistics.
In May 2024, Arreseygor assumed the role of undersecretary for Ports and Navigable Waterways, succeeding Pablo Piccirilli. This transition underscores his significant involvement in a sector pivotal to foreign trade and the nation’s strategic infrastructure. As of January 3, 2025, he has been appointed executive director of the ANPYN, an autonomous entity functioning under the auspices of the Economy Ministry, for a term of four years. From that position, Arreseygor is now directly responsible for the administrative intervention of the port of Ushuaia — a measure with significant institutional and strategic implications that has placed the Fuegian port under direct national government control and positioned it at the forefront of Argentina’s port, logistics, and geopolitical agenda.