MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina blasts UK “arrogant” approach to Assange case and Falklands’ dispute

Alicia Castro met with Assange last Friday at the Ecuadorean embassy

The Argentine Ambassador to the United Kingdom Alicia Castro said on Tuesday that the UK’s “arrogant” approach to the Julian Assange’s case “was similar” to its approach to Argentina and particularly, the sovereignty dispute over the Falklands/Malvinas Islands.

“For us Argentines, this fact, that shows us the arrogance of British diplomacy, does not surprise us.

“It is very similar to the approach taken toward the Malvinas Islands,” the government official said in a radio interview on Tuesday. 

“London is being urged by the United Nations to negotiate and participate in dialogue with Argentina,” Castro furthered.

Besides when the UK threatened Ecuador with taking actions to arrest Assange in the embassy “it was violating international law and this is what all members of the OAS made plain clear, because as (Argentine) Foreign minister (Hector) Timerman it was not a bilateral issue between Ecuador and the UK: it was all our continent defending international law against the British challenge” said Ms Castro.

Assange is currently taking refuge inside Ecuador’s embassy, which granted the former Wikileaks owner asylum, a measure rejected by the UK government that wishes for him to be extradited to Sweden in order to be tried for sexual harassment and rape.

Ms Castro also revealed that last Friday together with other Latinamerican ambassadors she met with Assange at the Ecuadorean embassy in London while listening to the live transmission of the OAS Foreign ministers meeting in Washington to address the issue of the inviolability of embassy and consular premises.

“We were sitting looking at the debate when Assange turned up and shook hands with all the ambassadors and diplomatic representatives and stayed on for quite some time. He talked with several of us while following the OAS debate”, said Ambassador Castro.

Diplomatic representatives from Cuba, Uruguay, Brazil, Bolivia, Guatemala and Peru were present at the Ecuadorean embassy, said Ms. Castro.