U.S. Ambassador summoned to Argentine Congress over Huawei dispute

The Argentine Chamber of Deputies has summoned U.S. Ambassador Peter Lamelas to provide explanations following allegations of diplomatic pressure against the Neuquén-based cooperative CALF. Representatives from CALF reported receiving threats regarding the potential withdrawal of visas for cooperative leadership after the entity pursued technological agreements with Huawei.

The dispute centers on infrastructure projects in the Vaca Muerta region, including a fiber optic network and a data center. During a recent AmCham summit, Ambassador Lamelas criticized Huawei, alleging the company is linked to the Chinese military and serves as an espionage tool. CALF and Huawei have rejected these claims, with the cooperative arguing that such actions constitute an interference in their technological autonomy and an infringement on the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

Deputy Aldo Leiva, president of the Commission on Cooperative Affairs, has scheduled the hearing for August 19 to address these reported attempts to influence local commercial decisions through diplomatic channels.