Argentine Government Cracks Down on Falkland Islands Activities

Argentina's government has presented a bill to crack down on companies operating in the Falkland Islands, potentially escalating tensions with the United Kingdom over the territory that is controlled by Britain but claimed by Argentina.

The proposal introduced on Thursday toughens sanctions on companies and people who unlawfully participate in activities in the Falklands and in Argentina's maritime spaces and continental shelf in "any type of activity aimed at the utilization of renewable or non-renewable natural resources" without authorization from Argentine authorities.

It also creates a National Security Council, led by Argentina's president, to oversee national security policy and safeguard critical infrastructure and national sovereignty.

Its seven members will include the president's cabinet chief, foreign minister, defence minister, economy minister, secretary of national intelligence and the president's legal secretary.

The bill seeks to "punish those who exploit our natural resources illegally, create incentives for them to cease such conduct, and provide the national government with tools to protect itself against external threats," the president's office said in a statement on Thursday.

The new bill