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Chile not interested in joining G20 at the expense of Argentina’s membership

Wednesday, May 23rd 2012 - 01:53 UTC
Full article 50 comments

Chile is not interested in joining the G-20 of leading advanced and emerging economies if that means sacking Argentina, said President Sebastián Piñera administration’s spokesperson, Andres Chadwick. Read full article

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  • tobias

    Why do all countries in South America say the priviledge relations with Argentina??

    This is such an affront to the rabid hate mongering anti-argy crowed here.

    I admire the rest of South America for their political maturity, hopefully one day we will fully reciprocate.

    May 23rd, 2012 - 01:59 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • mcarling

    Whether Chile would accept an invitation to join the G20 or not, Argentina cannot continue as a member following their recent behavior. It would be right and proper for the Falkland Islands to replace Argentina in the G20, but that's not possible because the Falkland Islands have not yet joined the WTO.

    May 23rd, 2012 - 02:20 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • tobias

    Argentina is staying, and none of you can do a darn thing about it.

    Take it like men and stop crying about the G20 for seks sake.

    May 23rd, 2012 - 02:38 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Malvinero1

    It would be right and proper for the Falkland Islands to replace Argentina in the G20, but that's not possible because the Falkland Islands have not yet joined the WTO.
    AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
    MAlvinas in the G20??/ YOU ARE CRAZY!

    May 23rd, 2012 - 03:10 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • reality check

    @3
    Tell that to the member states, because I am not all that sure that they hold the same opinion as you. I could be wrong, but I do not think so.

    May 23rd, 2012 - 04:32 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • STRATEGICUS

    As they say in the US about suckers 'there is one born every minute' and Pinera is certainly showing himself to be one; or is he.Still no sign of the termination of the LAN flights to the Falklands.Maybe he has learnt a couple of things from the Argies about being two faced.

    May 23rd, 2012 - 04:59 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Idlehands

    Are there actually any 'rules' for the G20 club? Is there a mechanism for kicking nations out?

    It's a moot point as the G20 is just a facade to promote inclusivity. The G8 is where the decisions are made.

    May 23rd, 2012 - 08:19 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Guzz

    You don't decide what countries are the worlds biggest economies, use your heads... Falklands in the G20, you guys are bloody born in a bottle...

    May 23rd, 2012 - 08:24 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • STRATEGICUS

    8 Guzz

    The other posters are taking you for an Argie idiot ie taking the Castlemaine xxxx.You are right though, as a new independent country,whenever it comes,the Falklands will be too small to be in the G20 but as each of the Falklanders could be worth up t £85
    million I do not see them losing too much sleep over it as long as they have British protection ;which is a foregone conclusion.

    May 23rd, 2012 - 09:01 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Idlehands

    I think the headline should really be:

    “Chile not confident enough to join the G20 at the expense of Argentina’s membership”

    May 23rd, 2012 - 09:44 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • The Chilean perspective

    In reality neither Argentina nor Chile belong in the G20.
    The G20 is supposedly a club of the worlds largest economies. Well, Argentina comes in at number 27 (2011) and Chile comes in at number 39 (2011).
    In conclusion, who cares about the G20. It's not going to put any money in the pockets of average citizens. The things that really matter are individual free trade agreements. These MAKE you money. Just look at Peru they are taking off economically because of these FTA's. They work, the G20 on the other hand is a talkfest.

    May 23rd, 2012 - 10:00 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • briton

    The more other S/A countries bows and scrapes to CFK they will never learn to stand on they own two feet and be independent.
    Honestly guys

    You are giving the impression, [no matter how false]
    That QUEEN CFK rules south America with an iron rod,

    Of course its not true,
    But that’s the impression you are giving to the rest of the world .

    May 23rd, 2012 - 12:50 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Guzz

    Take your impressions, mix them with your logic and think about it during your austerity...

    May 23rd, 2012 - 12:59 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • ChrisR

    13 Guzz

    As you know I live in Uruguay and intend to make it my only home: I love the country and the people.

    However you do not understand that living under austerity in the UK would, for most poorer Uruguayo, be like winning the lottery.

    You simply cannot compare living standards between the two countries.

    Your view of the UK is so skewed by hate that you risk looking rediculous.

    May 23rd, 2012 - 01:39 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Simon68

    14 ChrisR (#)
    May 23rd, 2012 - 01:39 pm

    He isn't risking looking ridiculous, Guzz is ridiculous.

    May 23rd, 2012 - 01:48 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Sergio Vega

    Thought Mr. Piñera is playing a two side game....it´s no convenient for us to get another conflict while we are with a demand from Peru by one side and with the eternal Bolivian ambition for the land they lost in a war by the other....It no means that we agree with the Argentine behaviour and that we like the way they are involving the whole LATAM countries in their conflict....I would prefer that my Gvt. were harder with CFK and her policies making clear that we are not involved in her media war with UK and FI and in the trade restrictions also...She isn´t a reliable person as we know her bipolar mood which make her an uncontrollable bomb ready to explode in any minute as any other regular populist leader does...(see Chavito, Fidelito, Evito day by day behaviour).
    Hope things can change when her office term finish and LATAM stop to be the CFK playground...

    May 23rd, 2012 - 02:19 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Tobers

    @16

    Good post.

    May 23rd, 2012 - 02:35 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Idlehands

    How long will it be before we start hearing proposals to abolish the term restrictions on Argentine presidents?

    I can foresee it now. CFK stood on the balcony recreating the Evita moment where she asks the crowd to decide (clad in black of course)

    May 23rd, 2012 - 02:41 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Condorito

    @Guzz
    “You don't decide what countries are the worlds biggest economies, use your heads”
    Good advice, you should follow it.
    As Chilean Perspective correctly points out Arg is not one of the 20 largest economies.
    Even falling apart Spain is larger. Argentina was included in the G20 to make the group more representative.

    It is kind of like the universities in Brazil now having to include a quota of Afro-descendants in their numbers.
    It is political correctness. Argentina is there by grace of generosity not on merit.
    Social engineering seldom works.

    @16 Well said.

    May 23rd, 2012 - 02:41 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Guzz

    This is where the Chilean Pinochet waste gathers :)
    Se acabo, jue´perras :)

    May 23rd, 2012 - 02:47 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • ron

    Do you know because everyone respects Argentina? Because when Argentina wake up, wake up its economy at a time, will be one of the most powerful of the new world, with players such as Brazil, China and India. Argentina has almost inexhaustible natural resources, fresh water, oil, minerals, fertile land and skilled labor. When you wake up this giant is going to feed many countries and so it is good to remember who is in the bad times.

    May 23rd, 2012 - 03:00 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • ChrisR

    21 ron

    I would be really pleased if Argentina could get itself a respectable government that worked FOR EVERYBODY and not JUST for themselves.

    For them to get the country up into the first 10 like it used to be when people who owned their own property (ranchers, etc) were in charge instead of the unions and the crooks who are presently screwing everything up only to line their own pockets.

    From what we read here about the numbers living in cardboard / plywood and tin roofed slums (40%) I would imagine things have got worse instead of better since 1910; you only have to look at the international statistics to see that.

    May 23rd, 2012 - 03:39 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Guzz

    40% of the Argentines in the cantegriles? That's a straight out lie...

    May 23rd, 2012 - 04:00 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • ElaineB

    I can see why Chile are taking this line. They just want to keep their noisy neighbours quiet whilst free trading their way to wealth.

    May 23rd, 2012 - 04:20 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Conqueror

    @1 “South America..........political maturity”. Oxymoron. Or perhaps just moronic.
    @3 Argieland may be staying. But that's because, according to the real G20, they thought they'd include a crap country in case it ever had an idea. Argieland isn't there because it meets the criteria for membership. It's there because it DOESN'T!
    @4 Argieland has a GDP (PPP) per capita of $17,516. The Falkland Islands has a GDP (PPP) per capita of $55,400. Which way do you want to phrase it? Falklands is three times wealthier than argieland? Or argieland is 2/3rds poorer than the Falklands?
    @8 See above for the reason argieland is there.
    @14 Why do you say that Guzz “risks looking ridiculous”? He's already managed that and is now headed for “buffoon”!
    @18 I thought they'd already reached that point. Or are they just muttering about it?
    @20 It's naughty to put things on here in foreign gibberish, Guzzle. Now be good and translate it into a proper language.
    @21 You started off badly with “Do you know because everyone respects Argentina?” You just cannot put argieland and “respect” in the same sentence. The actual attitude to argieland is “Oh gawd, not again.” I'm also concerned about you referring to argieland as a “giant”. We could probably agree that it's a mutant, but “giant”? Please! The only things “giant” about argieland are the size oif its mouth and its mistaken views of its own importance! These are the things that are wrong with argieland. In short....hubris!
    @23 How would you know? And why so irate? You're Uruguayan. Remember?

    May 23rd, 2012 - 04:33 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Guzz

    Warmonkey
    The reason I know is that I am attached to reality, unlike you. 40% would mean 4 out of every 10 Argentinian living in the cante... Now, you have official numbers and massive amount of independent sources stating the contrary, that Argentina is heavily reducing its poverty, especially the extreme poverty (cante-like poverty). Hence, either the world is lying, or you are :)

    May 23rd, 2012 - 05:55 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Rosarino

    Comment removed by the editor.

    May 23rd, 2012 - 06:12 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Lord Loverocket

    @26 Guzz

    It's more like 30% living below the poverty line - only slightly better in the rankings than Ethiopia. Terrible statistic
    http://www.indexmundi.com/g/r.aspx?c=ar&v=69

    May 23rd, 2012 - 06:32 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Condorito

    Is it really that high? That does surprise me.

    May 23rd, 2012 - 06:40 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • briton

    Their mind is distorted by anti British hatred
    They hate, what they do not understand,
    And they insult what they do,
    Then thinks
    Sorry is appropriate,

    Sticks and stones
    Indocronoughts=sticks and stones .

    May 23rd, 2012 - 06:40 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Guzz

    That very same list puts Argentina behind Iraq and Uruguay behind Greece... Hey, if being poor means no war, no economic suicide and a people united by love, I'll rather be poor...

    May 23rd, 2012 - 06:50 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • briton

    R U Sure the list is correct,
    its hard to belive there is hardly any poor in china .

    May 23rd, 2012 - 08:08 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • British_Kirchnerist

    A surprisingly principled stance from Pinera and his right ing government, not usually my cup of tea but I salute them on this. Also I not the name of the advisor, Chadwick, a good British name =)

    #12 “QUEEN CFK rules south America with an iron rod” Now there's a thought =)

    #16 “Evito” Never saw that link in the names before, but I like it =)

    #18 “How long will it be before we start hearing proposals to abolish the term restrictions on Argentine presidents?”

    Hopefully soon

    “CFK stood on the balcony recreating the Evita moment where she asks the crowd to decide”

    A most deocraric procedure =)

    #22 ”like it used to be when people who owned their own property (ranchers, etc) were in charge instead of the unions“

    Showing your true anti-democratic colours; face it, the oligarchy will never be back, god willing Cristina will be in power for many terms to come but if not her then someone like Timmerman, Alicia or Kicillof...

    #25 ”You just cannot put argieland and “respect” in the same sentence”

    Yes I can, how about: Long live Cristina in Argentina and George Galloway's Respect Party in Britain =)

    May 23rd, 2012 - 09:32 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Condorito

    @BK
    I see you neglected to accept my invitation of the other day.
    In fact you didn’t even reply...very rude.

    Piñera’s govt is not right wing. They occupy the same ground that the previous government did.
    Incidentally there are quite a lot of British surnames in the upper classes. The first post-Pinochet president’s surname was Alwyn.

    Chile doesn’t really support Argentina on this issue or the Falklands issue. It is just a matter of diplomatic expediency. Chile has nothing to gain winding the Argies up. We share 3000 miles of border and there are nearly 3 of them for each one of us. There is no point making a principled stand on a non issue. Chile is doing what Chile does well.

    May 23rd, 2012 - 10:31 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Simon68

    34 Condorito (#)
    May 23rd, 2012 - 10:31 pm

    We may be 3 to your 1, but if it came to blows my money would be on Chile.

    May 23rd, 2012 - 11:41 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Guzz

    Simon, you would exchange your own mother for money, and little of it as well. You don't have to convince us, we know that already...

    May 24th, 2012 - 04:54 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • mcarling

    @32

    China hit their post-war poverty extreme in the 1970s. Since 1978 or 1979, China has become wealthier every year and typically by 10% or more per year. Not counting Hong Kong or Taiwan, I was last in China in 2003. Even then, I didn't see any evidence of the poverty that I have seen during trips to Argentina.

    Sadly, the current policies of the Argentine government are sure to make Argentina poorer.

    May 24th, 2012 - 07:31 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Guzz

    mcarling
    Might be you are right, maybe the current policies of Argentina will indeed make them poorer, but every indication shows that they are on the right track. Or do you think Argentina should follow Greece's example? Spain's maybe? Or do like the US and UK and invade sovereign nations for resources in order to improve theor wealth? What is the right track? I think that the failed economic system displayed in the world today makes it a bit hard to talk about “right tracks”, don't you agree?

    May 24th, 2012 - 07:43 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • mcarling

    #38 Guzz:

    Argentina's economic policies are not very different from those of Greece and Spain. Chile and Uruguay would be better examples to emulate, if not Hong Kong and Singapore.

    It's hypocritical to write about “invade sovereign nations” after what Argentina did in 1982. Don't forget that documents found in the Argentine National Archives show that Argentina's plan for the Falklands was ethnic cleansing (like in Patagonia in the 1870s). Remember when the government of Argentina used to try to attract tourists and investors by claiming to be “the only white country south of Canada”? I do. What happened to the indigenous population of Argentina? Genocide. Argentina has the unenviable status of being the only country in the western hemisphere which murdered virtually the entire indigenous population. Not a good position from which to be preachy.

    I have been to Argentina and I like many things about the Argentine people. I would like to believe that Argentina's current political class is not like those of the past, but their domestic and international behaviour doesn't give my any basis for optimism.

    It would be nice if Argentina would admit that their claims against the Falklands are bogus and try to have a friendly and peaceful relationship, but if Theory #2 above is right, then politicians like CFK who lie to the people will usually be elected over any who tell the truth. The only hope I can see for getting past Argentina's intransigence is for the Falkland Islanders to continue modernizing their relationship with Britain and to continue reforming their Constitution to stamp out the remaining vestiges of colonialist arrangements. The incremental process of transitioning from colonialism to self-governance started in the 1980s and seems to be progressing well. I wish the Falkland Islanders well in their pursuit of self-governance and freedom from Argentine aggression.

    May 24th, 2012 - 09:28 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • ChrisR

    23 Guzz

    I do not tell lies and dislike the 'downright lie' accusation you made about my claim that 40% of people in BsAs live in slums. Apparently the term should have been 'shanty towns'. These are places, as I said without water, sewage and in some cases, electricity. They have no security from the police either, but that applies to everybody in BsAs who does not pay bribes to them.

    You were right, it's not 4 in 10: it's 3 1/2 in ten. YES, 35% live in them. The Catholic Church, no less, says so. Given the rate of growth of chaos in the economy I would imagine the figure is now much higher. Maybe even MORE than 40%, who knows, certainly not the government.

    http://en.mercopress.com/2011/11/21/a-third-of-metropolitan-buenos-aires-live-below-poverty-line-claims-catholic-church

    You probably know that INDEC no longer reports on poverty, lawlessness, etc since this would embarass The Mad Bitch of Argentina in the role of 'Mother of the Poor'. What a joke your chosen country of Argentina is: but not if you have to live there, unlike you, who lives in Uruguay.

    May 24th, 2012 - 11:44 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Guzz

    ChrisR

    http://en.mercopress.com/2011/04/21/argentine-official-statistics-show-poverty-is-down-9.9-in-second-half-of-2010

    Now, who to believe? Mercopress, or Mercopress?

    May 24th, 2012 - 12:38 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • briton

    39 mcarling
    thanks

    May 24th, 2012 - 01:04 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Condorito

    @39
    excellent post

    May 24th, 2012 - 01:43 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • ChrisR

    41 Guzz

    Have you actually READ the link you posted?

    INDEC figures, in election year - oh, come on. I know I am 66 but I am not stupid.

    So the answer is Mercopress BOTH times: just read it and try to understand it. DOH!

    May 24th, 2012 - 03:28 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Guzz

    You are free to choose what information you feel you need to. You choose to believe info from an institution responsible for the biggest lie the latest 2000 years, an institution that is responsible for who knows (God only?) how many people's lack of faith in life. All from crusades, inhuman taxing and rape of children. I choose to believe a regime that although it's not perfect, it has a long way to go before they reach the ancles of the church...

    May 24th, 2012 - 04:45 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Simon68

    36 Guzz (#)
    May 24th, 2012 - 04:54 am

    I'm afraid my mother died in 1992, so it would be impossible for me to sell her. Any way as we have never met, and you have absolutely no knowledge of me how do you come to the conclusion that I would sell my mother?
    You ave a very poor knowledge of what it is really like to live in Argentina, a very good estimate of those living under the poverty level is 35% of the Argentine population, this compared with 19.7% during the black days of 2001.
    This is the result of the “progressive” policies of Kretina Kirchner, she is like cancer living on the poor of her country.

    May 24th, 2012 - 05:05 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Guzz

    Simon
    That's another outright lie, according to every independant source, the poverty rate in Argentina is decreasing, and has been doing so constantly during the last decade. There is no way on earth that poverty was lower in 2001. Also, as Uruguayans, we can tell when Argentina is doing good and bad, every time you dive, we feel it in our pockets :) I tell you what I've told so many before you, either the world is lying, or you are.

    May 24th, 2012 - 05:16 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Simon68

    47 Guzz (#)
    May 24th, 2012 - 05:16 pm

    You are absolutely right, I totally misread my source: 2001 it was 36%, 19.7% was the underemployed value. I beg you pardon.

    May 24th, 2012 - 05:34 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Guzz

    Simon
    Then I beg yours for calling you a liar

    May 24th, 2012 - 06:52 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • briton

    There are many facts, and millions of crap about the British -Falkland- Argentina.
    Now then, if you have any confidence in the history books, there be only 4 ways to get the Falklands,

    1, [war] and you beat us , [very unlikely]
    2, you get it by negotiation, very doubtful, as you have no legitimate claim, and the islanders don’t `want you .
    3, you get them by devious and skulduggery means.
    By getting the free world to dump democracy, in favour of dictatorship,
    Again very unlikely , and practically impossible.

    4, corrupt politicians, bribery and greed.[possible, but unlikely ]

    But,
    You might get the Malvinas, if you can find them .lol.

    .

    May 24th, 2012 - 08:47 pm - Link - Report abuse 0

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