Argentine Health Minister Juan Manzur confirmed Wednesday morning that the situation on the MSC Armonía cruise ship, which lost a crew member last Friday to a possible flu virus, “was under control” and “normal” after it arrived to Buenos Aires port to be inspected by customs and health authorities.
Argentina is hoping to use its “strong political commitment” with St Lucia to strengthen ties with the wider Caribbean Community (CARICOM) grouping, its ambassador Marcelo Aldo Salviolo has said.
Passengers and crew from the Italian cruise vessel MSC Armonia had to undergo a medical check-up when they docked in Montevideo Tuesday morning following the death of a member of the crew who is believed to have caught a type of flu virus.
British ambassador in Chile Jon Benjamin said that if Lan flights to the Falkland Islands from Chile are suspended this can only be interpreted as an “economic blockade” of the Islands and strongly suggested that the administration of Argentine President Cristina Fernandez is trumpeting the Malvinas card pushed by “domestic interests”.
A private Argentine report warns that the current diplomatic dispute over the Falklands/Malvinas could have an impact on bilateral trade with the UK which last year totalled over 1.4 billion dollars with a 150 million surplus for Buenos Aires.
The Argentine economy expanded 8.8% in 2011 according to the controversial National Statistics office, Indec, while the Central bank reported that 21.5 billion dollars fled from the country last year, which is 88% higher than in 2010.
The remains of Argentina’s wealthiest woman, María Amalia Sara Lacroze Reyes Oribe de Fortabat Pourtale was buried Sunday at the Recoleta Cemetery, where an official service was held after family and friends attended a private funeral ceremony.
UK Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said on Monday that the British military presence in the Falklands has not increased recently since there was no recorded change to Argentine force levels, and there was no current or credible threat.
Argentine members of the opposition have warned that they will not attend a Friday special session of the Senate and Lower House Foreign Affairs committees to be held in Tierra del Fuego and dedicated to the Malvinas issue unless the overall position of the diplomatic conflict is openly debated.
The Argentine newspaper Ambito Financiero reported on Friday, without revealing sources, that oil exploration rig Leiv Eiriksson, contracted by two oil companies to drill to the south of the Falkland Islands “was found, on Thursday, exploring in Argentine waters”, according to ‘irrefutable’ satellite images.