MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Advance party of Argentine Families holding talks in Falklands

Argentine next of kin are scheduled to travel to the Falklands in October for the official inauguration of the Memorial at the Darwin cemetery

Members of the Argentine Families' Commission arrived in the Falkland Islands Wednesday to carry out a scoping visit in preparation for the Next of Kin visits which are due to take place in October for the official inauguration of the Memorial at the Argentine cemetery.

The party consists of Families' Commission president, Hector Omar Cisneros and members Leandro de la Colina, Jorge Francisco Racca and Carlos Daniel Salazar. Accompanying the group are medical doctor, Nestor Gustavo Aguirrre and translator, Tomas Pico.

The group’s agenda in the Islands includes meeting with members of the Legislative Assembly, visit the cemetery at Darwin and attend a meeting at Government House to discuss a wide range of logistical elements of the October visit.

They are scheduled to depart on Saturday.

Meanwhile, discussions are said to be continuing between the British Embassy in Buenos Aires and the Argentine Government regarding the cancellation of local seat bookings on the next of kin flights.

Councillor Mike Summers says that the Falkland Islands Government is awaiting an explanation of the actions and rectification.

Summers confirmed during a public meeting in the Islands that according to the agreement reached Islanders would have full access to the normal allocation of seats on the Saturday Lan flight to MPA, while the next of kin would have use of the surplus, but the situation “has been abused somehow,” in that a number of local bookings have been, “…knocked off.”

Controversy has surrounded the planned visit as the next of kin had originally applied to travel to the Islands on a dedicated charter flight. However, because the Argentine Government has banned charter flights to the Falkland Islands, the Islands Government felt it inappropriate to allow the relatives to visit under such circumstances. Instead it was agreed they would visit on a scheduled Saturday Lan flight to the Falklands.

The visits are due to take place on October 3 and October 10 using a larger airframe in order to accommodate the increased number of passengers.

Councillor Summers recently commented, “We want the next of kin to be able to visit and pay their respects to their dead. They are victims as well in their own way so we want it to take place successfully and will continue to work towards that.”