MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Leeds Castle rerouted: “good will gesture” towards Argentina.

The current Argentine administration aggressive Falklands/Malvinas campaign and the subsequent “exchange” of statements with the Foreign Office seem to have definitively involved Chile, according to the Santiago press.

El Mercurio reveals that the presence of Chilean Ambassador Mariano Fernandez in the Falklands Liberation Day celebration at Lincoln Inn last June 17 caused disappointment with the Argentine government, in spite of the fact that, according to the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "the matter had previously been addressed with Buenos Aires".

However, EL Mercurio reports that as the "war of statements" between London and Buenos Aires regarding the Falklands sovereignty claim becomes more intense the fact that a Chilean diplomat was present at Lincoln Inn and HMS Leeds Castle was scheduled in Punta Arenas became relevant.

Over the weekend Argentine Foreign Affairs Minister Rafael Bielsa interviewed by the Chilean press said that Argentina is not critical of Chilean-UK relations but can't remain "indifferent" regarding the issue of the Malvinas sovereignty.

Particularly since during the Lincoln Inn party ("celebrating an Argentine defeat in Argentine territory") the Falklands' government representative Sukey Cameron openly criticized Argentina for having taken "decisions that make life more difficult for Islanders", while praising Chile for the "excellent weekly link" with Punta Arenas.

The Chilean opposition also took the opportunity to criticize the government for its "imprudent" foreign policy arguing that given the "delicate international minute" in the region "we need concentrated diplomats and real co-ordination between the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence, who seem more interested in their own political candidacies".

Actually Soledad Alvear and Michelle Bachelet, Foreign Affairs and Defence ministers are signaled as the names with greater potential to succeed President Ricardo Lagos. Ms. Bachelet is even ahead of Joaquin Lavin the opposition's undisputed candidate.

Furthermore El Mercurio reports that the surfacing of the Lincoln Inn Chilean ambassador presence coincided with the scheduled call in Punta Arenas of HMS Leeds Castle and according to Chilean diplomatic sources as a compensating "good will gesture" towards Argentina it was decided to reroute the patrol vessel to Puerto Montt.

This decision surprised the Foreign Office and British Ambassador Richard Wilkinson visited the Chilean Foreign Affairs ministry to express London's disappointment and cancelled HMS Leeds Castle visit to Chile.