CFK confirms Argentina will attend London Olympics “with our flag up high”

Tuesday, February 28th 2012 - 05:14 UTC

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CFK: “We will go to the Olympics with our flag up high”

President Cristina Fernández rejected the possibility that a delegation of Argentine sportsmen may not fly to London to attend the 2012 Olympics as part of an Argentine boycott in response to the United Kingdom’s refusal to discuss the Malvinas Islands sovereignty.

“We will go to the Olympics with our flag up high,” she assured as she addressed the Malvinas issue in a speech Monday evening in Rosario, Santa Fe thus watering down strong internal pressure for an Olympics boycott.

She recalled that “there are still sixteen colonial enclaves in the world. One of them is right here in our country, in our Malvinas Islands”. This is a shameful condition for the world precisely “when we are celebrating 200 years of our flag”.

“That is why remembering the Malvinas here and ratifying this regional and global cause once more is not only just about territory or history. It is also about the defence of our natural resources,” she explained.

The Argentine president also recalled the Malvinas war fallen and veterans and remembered that only a few years ago she asked former Santa Fe governor Hermes Binner why the Monument to the Flag at its cusp was railed and out of bounds; the reply was shocking: because many veterans used it to commit suicide by plunging from the pinnacle.

”We honour each and all of those teenagers that went to the Islands without any military instruction, proper clothing or food to the ultimate sacrifice”, underlined Cristina Fernandez.

Categories: Politics, Argentina, Falkland Islands.

Tags: 2012 Olympic Games, Argentina, Cristina Fernandez, Falkland Islands, Falklands / Malvinas, Malvinas war veteran, Monument to the Flag, Santa Fe, United Kingdom.

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brit abroad
Great news!! We want you there!

Be warned tho!!!! UK Customs can be really touch on monkeys, especially in large groups!
Feb 28th, 2012 - 05:46 am 0
STRATEGICUS
I am sure that I have seen the smiling sun part of the Argie flag somewhere before.
Ah yes; it is the opening shot of the Teletubbies.
Feb 28th, 2012 - 06:10 am 0
Idlehands
I assume it's dawned on her that the only people that would care would be the Argentine athletes.

Is she not concerned that these high flying flags might go up in flames after the example set in Buenos Aires?

The daft thing is that I'm sure that Argentines would be terribly upset if that happened which is why they do it to the union flag - assuming it would have the same impact - but it doesn't. Brits view third world rioters burning flags with little more than an eye roll.

Argentine athletes will be welcomed - but if they try to turn it into a political protest they'll probably just be laughed at.
Feb 28th, 2012 - 06:24 am 0

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