MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine militants demand return of Falklands’ war booty docked in Buenos Aires

The Audax II, originally the “Yehuin” covered in graffiti (Pic El Malvinense)

Argentine extreme militants belonging to a self proclaimed “Patriotic resistance” have taken over the Panama flagged Audax II docked in the port of Buenos Aires, which they allege was originally Argentine but lost to the British during the 1982 Falkland Islands conflict.

The vessel, a 494 tons oil tender, under the name of “Yehuin” apparently participated in the Falklands conflict, but at the end of hostilities and when Argentine troops surrendered was requisitioned by the British , “and later sold to a company, having changed its name and flagging”.

Because of its operations for the Cintra company, the vessel over the weekend arrived in Buenos Aires, where the extremist group was waiting to take it over. Simultaneously the group under the leadership of Juan Antonio Lopez presented a demand before a federal court “demanding its recovery for Argentina”.

“We request the immediate intervention so that the government of Argentina proceeds to impede the departure of the vessel to international waters and orders its immediate requisition since it is a vessel of great symbolic and patriotic value”, according to the demand presented to Federal Judge Maria Servini de Cubría.

Apparently since 1999 there’s a decree waiting to be signed declaring the Yehuin naval heritage, which was later to be supported by a Congressional bill. However none of this has happened.