MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Pro-Malvinas militant groups told by winch workers to keep out of the port of Buenos Aires

Quebracho group sets alight tyres and other elements before leaving the picket area (Pic Clarin)

Pickets organized by the Argentine fundamentalist group Quebracho to protest the docking in the port of Buenos Aires of the Bahamas flagged cruise “Seabourn Quest” which includes the Falkland Islands in its route were displaced by the union of winch operators in conflict over pay, work conditions and official registry of their grouping.

 The Quebracho group of hooded militants carrying bats and slings stayed overnight Tuesday and early Wednesday set tyres and other picket elements on fire before leaving and their positions occupied by the protesting union of winch operators on a 24 hour strike.

“Today is Sovereignty day and we decided to honor it, so we won't leave until we have finished with the ceremony”, said a Quebracho representative.

The pickets and demonstrations caused havoc in Buenos Aires city traffic in the port area next to downtown and the banking sector. Loaded trucks and other vehicles wanting to enter the terminal were delayed for hours.

However the winch operators that belong to a larger union, the ports' workers organization, warned Quebracho not to get mixed up in unions' demands and told them that next time “they go and protest to the Foreign affairs ministry, keep out of our ground, the port of Buenos Aires.

”We winch operators are true Peronists and we will not allow Quebracho to come here to the port to protest. The situation is sufficiently complicated without the need of Quebracho coming looking for trouble“, warned union leader Roberto Coria.

Winch operators are also demanding the Argentine Labor and Social Security ministry to make their union official and registered.

”We told the Quebracho people to get out so that the two protests don't get mixed up. We have a labor conflict and want to keep it that way. We can stop the port (of Buenos Aires) from operating, we decide whether it works or not, but we are not going to let Quebracho to come around messing things. They have the Foreign ministry”, insisted Coria.

Quebracho is a minority militant group, quite violent which has made a crusade in support of Argentina's Malvinas sovereignty claim, and is constantly organizing pickets next to visiting cruise vessels flying the red ensign or that plan to call in the Falklands.

They have also been involved in attacks and rampage of tourism offices in Buenos Aires selling cruise or travel packages that include the Falklands, and on special occasions of the 'claim' calendar have protested in front of the UK embassy in Buenos Aires and burnt several union jacks.