MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina trusts in a ‘political solution’ with Ghana to release ARA Libertad

Navy Secretary General Luis María González Day said the crew is fine and hopeful of a quick solution

The Argentine Navy Secretary General Luis María González Day, expressed confidence on Sunday that the joint ministerial commission that went to Ghana to seek the release of the training vessel ARA Libertad will reach a successful agreement.

“We trust the political mission will be successful”, said the Navy Secretary General who pointed out that the vessel “remains delayed but it is another step in the journey”.

As to the situation of the crew, which includes the latest promotion of Argentine Navy cadets, plus guests from other naval schools in Africa and South America (Uruguay and Chile) the top officer said that “the crew is very well, they are in constant touch with their families, and hoping that the mission that went to Ghana will get the ship sailing again.”

ARA Libertad has been retained in the port of Tema since last 2 October following an injunction placed by a US federal court on request from a hedge fund which holds Argentine defaulted sovereign bonds and want to cash them.

Last Thursday following an adverse hearing at the Ghana high court, the Argentine government decided to send a “political mission” to Accra to try and solve the controversy. The mission is headed by Defence Deputy Secretary Alfredo Forti and Deputy Foreign minister Eduardo Zuain.

Navy Secretary Gonzlaez Day denied that there was a plan B or evacuation of the ARA Libertad, so that sailors and cadets could return to the country. He also strongly denied rumours that there had been plans to escape from Tema on Wednesday night. “That is complete nonsense. Even when docked, as in this situation, there are random drills, which is part of the training”.

For the Ghana court the Argentine government annulled the diplomatic immunity it demands for the vessel to be released, from the moment it signed an agreement with creditors. Argentina insists on the Vienna convention on diplomatic immunity and in a release last Friday said it “trusts that the reply” from Ghana “will help to quickly overcome the controversy”, but it also added that if that is not the case “it will appeal to all available resources, both bilaterally and internationally to achieve the recognition of the its sovereign rights”.

The Argentine Foreign ministry regretted that Ghana’s courts had accepted as valid the arguments from the plaintiff the hedge fund NML Capital, which led to what it considers an “illegitimate embargo” of the three mast tall ship. Argentina refers to the hedge funds which still hold defaulted sovereign bonds and never accepted any restructuring as “vulture funds”. NML Capital allegedly holds 1.6bn dollars in such bonds which it purchased for cents and want full face value compensation plus interests.

Another top official from President Cristina Fernandez administration, Gabriel Fuks, head of the Cascos Blancos (White Helmets) Committee insisted that “Argentina is willing to go wherever is necessary” in order to ratify its stance and achieve the release of the Navy’s flagship vessel”.

“There are some very strong arguments over the fact that a training ship of this kind can’t be detained. That is why Argentina is willing to take the conflict to courts if necessary. We will take this issue wherever we need to, even if it may take a long time to solve it,” Fuks added.

“The Foreign Ministry’s press release was very harsh on its terms and President Cristina Fernandez has been closely monitoring the situation. There are two high ranking officials working over there and we are hoping that we can solve the situation from a political stance” concluded the head of the Argentine special peace force for rescue operations overseas when natural catastrophes.