MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Disagreement over terrorist extradition could sour Chile/Argentine relations

Smiles please for the picture: Mrs. Kirchner and President Piñera

After a lack of agreement in Chile over the extradition of ex guerrilla member Sergio Apablaza, Argentina President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner said that the meeting held with President Sebastián Piñera was an “excellent” one, during declarations made to seemingly minimize the situation.

The official website for the Argentine national government stated that, at the Argentine embassy in Santiago, Fernández de Kirchner said that the Apablaza situation “is one in which each country has a legal framework,” adding that this is “strictly about legal questions, regulated by international treaties, by laws.”

Mrs. Kirchner spoke after the lack of negotiation success with her Chilean counterpart over Apablaza's situation. The ex guerrilla member was part of the FPMR Manuel Rodríguez Patriotic Front, accused of assassinating Senator Jaime Guzmán. He is also accused of kidnapping a journalist, with both of the incidents dated in 1991.

The meeting between Piñera and Fernández de Kirchner took place Saturday at the Palacio de la Moneda, before a commemorative rally for Chile's bicentennial celebration. The bilateral relations between the countries remain tense after it was made known that Argentina may grant political asylum to Apablaza.

After meeting with Piñera, the possibility of defining Apablaza's situation in the next few days came to light. Mrs. Kirchner could release her final stance on the issue before travelling for a United Nations conference. The UN is against granting political asylum to individuals accused of terrorism-related crimes.

Ex Chilean Ambassador to Argentina, Luis Maira, said that “Apablaza has support from social organizations and human rights organizations with a great deal of influence” over Argentina's national government.