UK officials have sent a letter to Interpol's headquarters in Lyon arguing that Argentine requests for the arrest of individuals involved in the project, including British nationals, should be treated as politically motivated. Sources suggested the British government is concerned by what they described as an attempt to bully people and companies out of working in the Falklands.
The dispute concerns the Sea Lion oil project in the north Falklands basin, which has the potential to triple the Falklands' GDP. Argentina's president, Javier Milei, has vowed to block it. His strategy includes attempts to criminalise those involved in Sea Lion and deter other investors. Milei has already initiated criminal proceedings against the Israeli company Navitas and its British partner, Rockhopper Exploration, the core companies in the offshore project.
In its response, it is understood, Interpol told the UK government it would respect article 3 of its constitution, which forbids it from undertaking any intervention or activities of a political character. Interpol screens red notices, which are requests to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition. Nearly 20,000 were issued last year. Once circulated to enforcement agencies, individual member countries decide whether to act on the requests.
Andrea Clausen, chief executive of the Falklands government, confirmed that Argentina's use of Interpol was a threat but added: "One would hope that Interpol wouldn't necessarily take action." She said: "Certainly those of us who have an interest have had a look at certain sections of Interpol's constitution to see what we think it could mean."
The intensity of the Argentine pressure is at a level that UK officials say has not been seen since the 74-day conflict of 1982, which followed the invasion ordered by Argentina's dictator General Leopoldo Galtieri. The war cost the lives of 649 Argentine military personnel, 255 British military personnel and three Falkland islanders.
Argentina continues to claim sovereignty over the 700 islands that make up the Falklands and has dismissed a 2013 referendum in which 99.8 per cent of the islands' 3,600 residents voted to remain a British territory, with only three votes against.
Despite Interpol's reassurance over the screening of red notice requests, concerns remain that Argentina could convince the organisation's member states that its requests are not political but rooted in domestic legislation.