MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
UPM conflict: Argentine protestors will not be allowed to cross to Uruguay, warn officials
Residents from Gualeguaychú, Argentina confirmed that on Sunday they will attempt crossing an international bridge to Uruguay to protest the production expansion of the pulp mill Botnia/UPM, authorized by the government of President Jose Mujica. This despite the fact Uruguayan officials anticipated that at the most “eight or nine” Argentine officials and representatives from the protestors will be allowed to meet with their Uruguayan counterparts to discuss the situation. Read full article
Comments
Disclaimer & comment rulesLove the sound of the brotherhood we keep being told about by people that have chosen not to live there.
Oct 06th, 2013 - 09:39 am - Link - Report abuse 0Of course the Uruguayan authorities are not going to allow a large bunch of foreigners into their country, especially as they are protesting about a perfectly legal expansion to a pulp mill that is NONE of Argentina's business, and they should but out.
Oct 06th, 2013 - 10:03 am - Link - Report abuse 0I hope the Argentines are too stupid to try and rush the border, but if they are, I hope the Uruguayans send them away with a few bruises and a message “Keep out of Uruguay's sovereign business.”
Lafluff - what a great name.
Oct 06th, 2013 - 12:01 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Always worth remembering that Gualeguaychú provided the original pollution of the Uruguay River. What were they thinking of protesting about? That they can't produce enough pollution to make the pulp mill look bad?
Oct 06th, 2013 - 12:03 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I found an article about argieland's position. http://www.telam.com.ar/english/notas/201310/657-argentina-to-go-before-the-international-court-at-the-hague-over-pulp-mil-case.html
As I understand it there is a binational commission (CARU) to monitor the river pollution. So why would argieland have 21 questions? As I recall, the Uruguayan part of the commission reported a little while ago that all the data showed the mill to be well within international environmental requirements. Why didn't the argie part of the commission report where the mill was failing to meet requirements?
”The Minister also held that the Uruguayan Government’s decision, “violates the treaties between the two countries and the International Court ruling, and for that reason it was decided to resort before that international judicial body. Uruguay’s decision affects the environmental sovereignty of Argentina”.
But there is an important feature of this whole matter. Timerman is involved. Therefore it will turn into a major argie cock-up. It's already well on the way. Last time this matter came up at the ICJ, it took FOUR years. Am I not right in thinking that, unless Uruguay agrees to accept any ICJ judgement as binding, it will be meaningless?
However, it will be an opportunity for tinman to prance the world stage and look like a total arse. Again.
Pepe, aided by his domineering wife La Tronca, appears to have let the situation go completely out of control. Had he acted in the interests of Uruguay from the start things may be the same as now but he would have retained his dignity and that of the country.
Oct 06th, 2013 - 12:04 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The histrionic threats by the argie morons in response to the article about the bridge in Clarin (yes, I know, they are the “enemy” of TMBOA) is bound to translate into another closing of the bridge(s) and the attendant loss in revenue during the coming season.
And for what? We all knew that trouble was going to raise it’s ugly argie head from the beginning. At least the ICJ will look at the facts regarding pollution. I have no idea if Uruguay is in breach of the original agreement but if I had to bet on it then I would be betting against the liar Gollum.
It remains to be seen just how many dimwits make it over the bridge.
Any protesters who enter Uruguay without passing through the usual Immigration Controls, which naturally would be a slow process, should be arrested as illegal immigrants. processed and deported to a fellow Mercosur country, preferably Venezuela
Oct 06th, 2013 - 12:38 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Brotherly love at it's best.
Oct 06th, 2013 - 02:55 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Andy You know the old Bible story of Kain and Abel? No,the K is not a typo
Oct 06th, 2013 - 03:02 pm - Link - Report abuse 0A single leaf bascule on Uruguay's side of the bridge would be a good idea.
Oct 06th, 2013 - 04:10 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Besides: Pepe, ex-terrorist and present traitor?
Sinjohn Bascula not a good idea me thinks. It would dump a lot of rubbish people into the river and so pollute it
Oct 06th, 2013 - 05:30 pm - Link - Report abuse 0lafluf mayor of fray bentos, you could not make it up
Oct 06th, 2013 - 08:05 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I still cant understand why anyone actually listens to Argentina. If the plant is legal, they should just be quiet
@10 I can understand your concern but this attempted invasion needs to be taken seriously. Would dumping argie bodies in the river be anything new? Will the Coast Guard be able to cope? Surely there should be some crowd control measures? Machine guns. Anti-tank rockets. Recoilless rifles. Mortars. The Uruguayan army even has armoured cars and infantry fighting vehicles. Useful for pushing crowds back!
Oct 06th, 2013 - 08:49 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Conqueror Thats exactly the sort of response those buggers are looking for to rack up the tension
Oct 06th, 2013 - 09:02 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Don't get so excited people, this is not a war between Argentina and Uruguay. In Argentina live more than 100,000 Uruguayans, and those are the residents, many more are living here without being registered simply because they don't have to be registered as residents in Argentina to live here, these activists are just a small group of people, so this is not the end of our brotherhood. There is life beyond Mercopress.
Oct 06th, 2013 - 09:56 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@13 I disagree. However, it seems that the “incident” has passed, temporarily. The Uruguayans stood firm. Bahillo reached the eastern end of the bridge and tried to insist that all 4,000 members of his “caravan” should accompany him across the border on the basis of “all of us or none of us”. His “request” was refused and the entire “caravan” returned to argieland. But a clear demonstration, I suggest, of argie arrogance. As if 4,000 foreigners, as an organised body, could be allowed to simply flood across the border of any country.
Oct 07th, 2013 - 11:33 am - Link - Report abuse 0Now consider, if police are expecting “trouble”, they are prepared with helmets, combat vests, shields, batons. There can be little doubt that these sort of “demonstrations” are orchestrated by the argie government. It is reasonable for the Uruguayan authorities to demonstrate that they can be resolute. The “caravan” could have taken hours to pass through border controls. This would not have suited them. Therefore, an attempt to overwhelm and burst through the border. I have some experience of border control. NO border authorities would permit a 4,000-strong organised group to do that.
Laflufing out loud at Bahillos childish tantrums. Go away you fibbing child and we might talk to you when you reach adolesence
Oct 07th, 2013 - 05:21 pm - Link - Report abuse 0All neighbours to Argentina must allow any and all argentines across as they please.
Oct 07th, 2013 - 10:19 pm - Link - Report abuse 0We have done more than enough “favors” the other way the last 100 years with millions and millions of Uruguayans, Chileans (in the 60s, 70s, and 80s) ,and then Bolivians, Paraguayans, and Peruvians today. They owe us a lot.
@17 Child
Oct 08th, 2013 - 02:06 am - Link - Report abuse 0As a self confessed troll I presume your comments represent the official infantile policy of the Government of the Argentine Republic.In which case God help Argentina
“They owe us a lot.”
Oct 08th, 2013 - 02:51 am - Link - Report abuse 0Yeah, like 9.78 pesos or one U$S
Nostrils is just angry that his parents chose Argentina to migrate to instead of a developed rich country.
Oct 08th, 2013 - 03:58 am - Link - Report abuse 0Too bad now, he's literally stuck there!
17
Oct 08th, 2013 - 04:11 am - Link - Report abuse 0“All neighbours to Argentina must allow any and all argentines across as they please.”
LOL, tell Brazil that !!
@17 Child
Oct 08th, 2013 - 07:56 am - Link - Report abuse 0“All neighbours to Argentina must allow any and all argentines across as they please.”
The Falklands don't recognise that policy, however, it's probably like all Argentine policies. Made up, whilst CFK smokes dope, looking into a crystal ball, trying to work out what Cyclops would have done if he was still alive.
Can't be too rude at the moment. She's not well, think she strained herslf, trying to empty some of cyclop's big metal vaults ready to take to the Seychelles
It seems all the argies chickened out, turned tail and clucked off! Or a word similar to clucked.
Oct 08th, 2013 - 11:04 am - Link - Report abuse 0@21 The Argentines are welcomed to come to Brazil. Actually, they love our white sand beaches, blue skies and the green everywhere - as much as we love their colder weather and european architeture. We visit each others a lot and will always do it, regardless of disagreements here and there,
Oct 11th, 2013 - 02:05 pm - Link - Report abuse 024math
Oct 11th, 2013 - 03:26 pm - Link - Report abuse 0All very well Math, but here is the statement from Argentina,
““All neighbours to Argentina must allow any and all argentines across as they please.””
“Must allow” and “ANY and ALL Argentines” - surely that is up to the discretion of those states??
Argentina is bullying Uruguay, demanding that Uruguay allow Argentine “protesters” into their country, with the intent of disrupting business and possible violence and civil disobedience !!
I can't think of any country that would throw open their doors willingly to that sort of “visitors”.
I am sure that Brazil would not take kindly to having their sovereignty disregarded publicly like Agentina did to Uruguay, DEMANDING entry with total disregard for Brazil's authority.
Geez, you must be Argentine!
@25
Oct 12th, 2013 - 01:42 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I am not Argentine. I just believe that the statement above was not meant to be interpreted “we can do whatever we please”. The Argentine people are not crazy.
26math
Oct 12th, 2013 - 05:24 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“I just believe that the statement above was not meant to be interpreted “we can do whatever we please”. The Argentine people are not crazy.”
With respect, Math, the statement is very specifically saying just that!
However, I think that the Argentine 'people' have nothing to do with this statement - it is the government, and no, they are not crazy - it's a consistent policy of abusing the weaker Uruguayans.
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