MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Kirchners Malvinas message: no war and no Winnie the Pooh

Pte. Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and officials at the main ceremony

On the 26th anniversary of the beginning of the Falklands war, now renamed the Day of the Malvinas war veteran, Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner renewed calls for sovereignty over the South Atlantic Islands and emphasized that the Malvinas claim is “unflagging”.

Accompanied by cabinet ministers, members of Congress, governors, military commanders and Malvinas veterans' organizations Mrs. Kirchner headed the main April 2nd ceremony at the Palomar Air Base calling on Argentines to keep advancing the Islands gest, which she defined as "unrenounceable and indeclinable". Without once mentioning the United Kingdom President Fernandez de Kirchner promised to keep claiming for Malvinas Islands' sovereignty in international forums. "We will continue working for our voice to be heard, denouncing the shameful existence of a colonial enclave in the XXI century". Looking back to events of 1982, when the country was ruled by a military Junta, Mrs. Kirchner praised the Argentine people for having at the time "clearly differentiated the historic gest from the violation of the constitution". "I remember my son Maximo then five years old following the war on the television with his tin soldiers and ships. For him it was a child's game. For others, a political game", and in the middle millions of Argentines who were not fooled and clearly differentiated the historic gest from the violation of the constitution. However in a subtle reference to growing questions about the sustainability of the current economic model, (and the latest conflict with farmers) Mrs. Kirchner said that the military defeat of 1982, when Argentine troops surrendered to the British Task Force, had been "preceded by other defeats", particularly the (liberal) economic policy of the military Junta. Six years before the 1982 South Atlantic conflict "on April 2nd 1976 (two days after the military coup that ousted the widow of President Juan Domingo Peron) an economic program was announced to the Argentines which meant the economic destruction, and as a nation, of our country" she underlined. "Without a nation, without industry, work or democracy, it's very hard to obtain military victories". But Mrs. Kirchner also marked differences with the Malvinas policy of President Carlos Menem administration in the nineties. "Between the decision of going to war and believing that by sending Winnies the Pooh we could recover the Islands, we must have the determination to recover economic strength and respect for human rights", she said clearly distancing the Kirchners' stance on the Malvinas cause from the "seduction" displayed by the former Foreign Affairs minister Guido Di Tella. Joint Chief of Staff and former Malvinas war pilot Brigadier Jorge Chevallier, in a brief speech paid tribute to all former Malvinas combatants and veterans who had the "honorable privilege of duty accomplished; a demonstration of heroism proved by the 649 men who never came back and are in our hearts". He called to dignify the dedication and sacrifice of the Malvinas soldiers: "we must rescue those virtues and transmit that ideal to the new generations: that is our mission". But he also said the past must not be worshiped as such, "rather revive what has been positive of that history and not repeat errors". Chevallier also talked about the "Malvinas gest" and the strong feelings that a new anniversary of that "gest" generates. "The testimony of the combatants remains alive in the claim of our Malvinas, a fair and permanent claim". Contrary to expectations Mrs. Kirchner did not appeal to Britain for a humanitarian gesture so that the Malvinas families can fly to the Falklands for the official inauguration of the monument at the Argentine cemetery in Darwin. Foreign Affairs minister Jorge Taiana said there would no repeat, since the President made the appeal at the right moment at the right place, the opening of Congressional sessions last March first. Similar ceremonies paying tribute to Malvinas war veterans were held in different Argentine cities and towns. In Buenos Aires a group of radicals, as they had announced, in a symbolic rejection act set a couple of British flags on fire, but with no consequences.