The Vatican Press Office has announced that Pope Francis will meet Argentine President Cristina Fernández on Monday at 8.50 AM Buenos Aires time. It will be the first official meeting the pontiff holds with a head of state.
The government of President Cristina Fernandez is furious with the Brazil-based Vale mining company for suspending its 6 billion dollars potash development in Mendoza, the largest investment in Argentina in recent years.
Argentine President Cristina Fernández will be attending the official ceremony installing Jorge Ramon Bergoglio as Francis I which is scheduled to take place next March 19. The announcement was made by the presidential office.
“President Cristina Fernandez, we have sent you a message: we have absolutely no desire to be ruled by the Government in Buenos Aires and we hope that now you might respect that”, said the spokesperson for the Falklands’ elected government in the aftermath of the referendum which showed the Islanders almost unanimously (99.8% of ballots) want to remain a British Overseas Territory.
Argentine President Cristina Fernández rejected the referendum held at the Falklands/Malvinas Islands, and assured it was a parody likening to a “squatters’ condominium meeting” who illegally live in an occupied territory.
UK Primer Minister David Cameron called on Argentina to respect the wishes of Falkland Islanders, who have overwhelmingly voted to stay as a British Overseas Territory and invited other countries across the world that are guided by self-determination to also respect and revere the very clear results.
As world leaders were arriving at Caracas late Thursday for Friday’s funeral ceremony of President Hugo Chavez, Argentine president Cristina Fernandez and her delegation were back in Buenos Aires. The Argentine president visited the Military Hospital’s chapel Thursday noon for a final goodbye to the Venezuelan leader and then ordered the flight back to Buenos Aires.
Argentine president Cristina Fernandez was the only leader given the option of visiting the ailing Hugo Chavez in hospital but declined, according to Venezuelan independent journalist Nelson Bocaranda who was the first to make public the news, 19 months ago, that the charismatic leader was suffering cancer.
Falkland Islands Governor Nigel Haywood accused Argentina of “making stuff up” in its relentless verbal assault on the UK and the Islands. With a referendum on whether the Islanders want to remain British less than a week away, Haywood vowed to keep “pushing back” against the “extraordinary” sabre-rattling, UK’s sensationalist tabloid The Sun published.
Reforming or democratizing the Argentine Justice system and the Supreme Court is forecasted to become the main political battle of this year, according to Rosendo Fraga a low profile Argentine historian and a sharp political analyst.