MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Mrs. Kirchner’s Malvinas Veteran Day message from London

President Cristina Fernadez de Kirchner

On the 27th anniversary of the Argentine landing in Falklands/Malvinas, which triggered the South Atlantic conflict in 1982, the Argentine government will commemorate Thursday April 2 the Day of the Veteran and the Fallen in the Malvinas War.

President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner currently in London participating of the G-20 world leaders’ summit is scheduled to make an address on Argentine national television. She will also hold a symbolic commemoration at the Argentine embassy in London

In Buenos Aires Defence Minister Nilda Garré will lead the ceremony Thursday morning at the Sergeant Cabral Non Commissioned Officers Army School in the huge Campo de Mayo military compound.

According to the official Argentine release Mrs. Kirchner in her address will recall “Operation Rosario” when Argentine forces momentarily “recovered the Malvinas islands”. Argentine forces landed April 2 and capitulated June 14, 1982 to a British Task Force sent to recover the Islands.

When her address she will be accompanied by the Armed Forces Joint Chiefs of Staff, Brigadier General Jorge Chevalier; Rear Admiral Pablo Vignoles and Colonel Mayor Alejandro Brizuela, all of them Malvinas veterans. Three non commissioned officers from the three services will also be at the ceremony.

Previous to the message the Argentine president will lay a flower wreath at the monument of Argentina’s Liberator Jose de San Martín across from the embassy in Belgrave Square.

In Buenos Aires Minister Garré and the second in command of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Daniel Camponovo will talk about the significance of April 2. Later at 11 o’clock there will be another commemoration at the cenotaph to the Malvinas fallen in downtown Buenos Aires at the San Martin Square. The cenotaph has plaques with the names of all Argentine combatants who did not return from the war.

Officially 649 Argentines were killed in combat and 1.068 wounded.

It was also announced that Mrs. Kirchner will to return to Buenos Aires on Friday (instead of Saturday) to pay her respects to the family of former president Raúl Alfonsín who died this week. Mrs. Kirchner described Mr. Alfonsin as a man of “strong convictions” and although they did have differences “he always defended his positions with great dignity”.

The Argentine president was informed of Mr. Alfonsin death on arrival at London and immediately contacted the family plus declaring a three day national mourning and flags at half mast.