Ushuaia Port Workers Threaten Wider Protests

Port workers who have been locked out of the Port of Ushuaia since January say they plan to intensify protest actions during the upcoming 2026-27 Antarctic cruise season.

The workers claim the port is currently operating under questionable safety certifications, raising concerns about possible disruption at one of the world’s main gateways for Antarctic expedition cruises.

Earlier this month, Franco Gastón Castillo, former administrative accounting director at the Port of Ushuaia and a representative of the 140 employees removed following federal intervention at the port, told media outlets that future protests could continue “for longer periods or for an indefinite time” during the next cruise season.

In a letter sent on May 18 to international cruise industry stakeholders, the workers raised additional concerns regarding the port’s operational certifications. According to the group, the port is currently using PBIP security certificates and environmental emergency documentation originally issued to the Provincial Port Directorate rather than to ANPYN, the federal agency now overseeing operations.

One of the most delicate points is that the terminal subject to the intervention continues to operate using certifications, authorizations and technical documentation that do not belong to the current imposed administration,” the workers stated in the letter.

The employees said the PBIP certificate, which permits the handling of passenger ships, container vessels, and fishing boats through 2029, had originally been issued by Argentina’s Coast Guard to the Provincial Port Directorate. The workers also alleged that the original certificate disappeared under “unknown” circumstances shortly before the federal takeover on January 21.

According to their claims, the Coast Guard later issued a replacement document that was delivered to ANPYN but not returned to the Provincial Port Directorate.

The central concern is that those who today administer the terminal displaced the technical and operational personnel who sustained those systems, while they continue using documentation and certifications obtained before the intervention to maintain an appearance of operational normality,” the workers said.

During the 2025-26 season, workers staged two-hour roadblocks on the main road leading to the port, causing delays for fuel deliveries, food supplies, waste removal services, passenger transportation, maritime agents, and other operational activities linked to cruise ships.

For the 2026-27 Antarctic season beginning in October, the group says it plans to extend those disruptions.

Basically, in principle, the same measures would be taken but now for longer periods or for an indefinite time,” Castillo said.

The workers are demanding an end to the federal intervention and reinstatement of staff positions at the provincially managed port. The federal takeover began on January 21 when Argentina’s National Ports and Navigation Agency assumed control of the Port of Ushuaia following allegations involving financial irregularities and infrastructure concerns.

According to ANPYN, around 33 percent of the port’s budget had reportedly been diverted to support provincial government accounts, violating rules requiring port revenue to be reinvested into port operations and infrastructure, according to the Buenos Aires Times. The workers dispute those allegations and say documentation from Argentina’s Coast Guard confirms the Port of Ushuaia met all international safety requirements through 2029 as of January 14.

Castillo said the port is currently operating with 18 former Provincial Port Directorate employees who remained under ANPYN management, supported by new hires and private contractors. When asked about alternatives for cruise operators if protests intensify next season, he suggested expedition cruise companies would likely avoid Ushuaia altogether.

I believe that given this is really an extraordinary situation, expedition cruises will much prefer to avoid any conflict and change course or go to the port of Punta Arenas as an alternative,” he said.

Punta Arenas in Chile is considered the main alternative departure point for Antarctic cruises, although it is located farther north than Ushuaia.