Media: Argentina weighs US military presence in Ushuaia in exchange for financial aid

The Argentine government is prepared to allow American military personnel access to a base in the country’s south in return for financial assistance.

According to the TN television channel, officials in Buenos Aires are in talks with Washington over the potential use of a base currently under construction in Ushuaia, the southernmost city of Argentina. To advance these discussions, Defence Minister Luis Petri joined President Javier Milei as part of the Argentine delegation visiting New York.

The report also noted that Washington has asked Buenos Aires to abandon its currency swap arrangement with China, a move aimed at reducing Beijing’s financial influence in Argentina.

On Tuesday, President Milei met with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Last week, Milei stated that his government was negotiating with US authorities on the possibility of financial support to help repay Argentina’s debt obligations.

The talks come against a backdrop of growing economic pressure. In recent weeks, Argentina has experienced a rise in country risk and volatility in the dollar exchange rate. The peso’s decline accelerated after the September 7 elections to the Buenos Aires Provincial Legislature, where Milei’s ruling Liberty Comes First party finished second, trailing the opposition Fatherland Force coalition by more than 10 percentage points. The result drew heightened attention ahead of Argentina’s parliamentary elections scheduled for October 26.

Following expressions of support for Milei by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and President Trump, the peso began to recover, reversing part of its recent decline.

By Tamilla Hasanova