MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Malvinas events overshadowed by Royal Wedding, complains Argentine minister

Defence minister Arturo Puricelli targeted the Argentine media for the ‘extensive coverage’

Argentine Defence Secretary Arturo Puricelli said he was disappointed with the “excessive coverage” granted by the Argentine media to the Royal Wedding and regretted so little attention was given to the commemoration of Malvinas conflict events.

Puricelli’s comments were widely broadcasted in the Argentine media following on the repercussions of the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton and the ongoing rumours in the UK press that the Duke of Cambridge would be stationed for a few months with his RAF search and rescue crew in the Falklands.
“In no way is Argentina going to claim if the Prince is sent to the Malvinas”, said Puricelli. “Our protest is the permanent claim Argentina makes of the illegitimate usurpation of the Islas Malvinas”.

The minister revealed that the government did an in depth analysis and ‘reflection’ on the extensive coverage given to the Royal Wedding by the Argentine press compared for example to “the anniversary of the sinking of the cruiser Manual Belgrano last May 2 and the Argentine Air Force combat baptism on May first”.

“As we see it, the Argentine media granted the Royal Wedding in London too much time and ink”, said the Defence minister who added that they should have realized “they played into the hands of the English since they sent us the ‘bill’ of the party”.

Puricelli said that at the precise moment Prince William had the most media exposure, “the London press announced that the young pilot would be coming to Argentina for a ten weeks training course next September”.

“It’s important for the Argentines not to fall to that submissive colonialist spirit of some of the media” that seem to forget that Malvinas is a national cause and not an issue limited to the Armed Forces.

Anyhow what matters, he said, “is that the British Crown passed on the message of the importance it assigns to its illegitimate position in the South Atlantic”.

Behind an alleged social event, “there was a clear political message masked by the occasion”.

There will be no formal protest if the Prince comes, “the protest is the standing claim which Argentina makes in every possible forum of the illegitimate usurpation of the Malvinas Islands”.

“Malvinas is a national cause and merited better coverage in the Argentine media of those special commemorations”, emphasized the Defence minister.

Some media shot back at the minister recalling that it is estimated that the wedding attracted two billion viewers world round.

Furthermore, Puricelli’s remarks forget to mention the fact that the “British embassy in Buenos Aires denied such rumours”.